Abstract: Endoscopic instrument with a control element, an instrument shaft, an adjustment element, a pull element, an actuator, an intermediate element which is operatively connected to the control element and to the adjustment element such that a force applied to the control element by the user can be transmitted to the adjustment element via the intermediate element in order to move the adjustment element, a detection device for detecting a torsion of the intermediate element, and an abutment device, which defines a free rotatory movement range of the control element relative to the adjustment element.

Abstract: Endoscopic instrument with a control element, an instrument shaft, an adjustment element, a pull element and an actuator, and also with an intermediate element which is operatively connected to the control element and to the adjustment element, wherein the intermediate element has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is connected to the second portion, the second portion has a greater bending resistance than the first portion, and the first portion has a measurement element for measuring a flexion of the first portion, wherein the adjustment element has a first abutment device, which defines a first movement range of the first portion relative to the adjustment element, and a second abutment device, which defines a second movement range of the second portion relative to the adjustment element, and the first movement range is smaller than the second movement range.

Abstract: Endoscopic instrument with a control element, an instrument shaft, an adjustment element, a pull element, an actuator, an intermediate element which is operatively connected to the control element and to the adjustment element such that a force applied to the control element by the user can be transmitted to the adjustment element via the intermediate element in order to move the adjustment element, a detection device for detecting a torsion of the intermediate element, and an abutment device, which defines a free rotatory movement range of the control element relative to the adjustment element.

Abstract: Endoscopic instrument with a control element, an instrument shaft, an adjustment element, a pull element and an actuator, and also with an intermediate element which is operatively connected to the control element and to the adjustment element, wherein the intermediate element has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is connected to the second portion, the second portion has a greater bending resistance than the first portion, and the first portion has a measurement element for measuring a flexion of the first portion, wherein the adjustment element has a first abutment device, which defines a first movement range of the first portion relative to the adjustment element, and a second abutment device, which defines a second movement range of the second portion relative to the adjustment element, and the first movement range is smaller than the second movement range.

Abstract: The invention encompasses methods, including computer-implemented methods, of defining a virtual patient population and mapping the virtual patient population to a population of real patients. The invention utilizes virtual measures from one or more virtual patients, and data representative of multiple real subjects in a sample population, such as data collected from patients in a clinical trial or epidemiological study of a real population. The invention includes evaluating the similarity between the virtual patients and the real subjects, and assigning prevalences to the virtual patients based on the evaluation. The similarity can be assessed using some or all of the virtual measures of the virtual patients and some or all of the data obtained for the real subjects. Any of various goodness-of-fit measures can be used to evaluate the similarity or to help identify prevalences. The virtual patient population is defined as the virtual patients according to their respective prevalences.

Abstract: Methods for predicting effectiveness of a PDE4 inhibitor are described. In one embodiment, a method includes administering a ?2-agonist to a patient having asthma and applying a measurement to the patient to determine a treated result of the measurement. The measurement is configured to evaluate effectiveness of the ?2-agonist for the patient. The method also includes predicting effectiveness of the PDE4 inhibitor for the patient based on the treated result of the measurement.