Patents by Inventor Eugen Herner

Eugen Herner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230329737
    Abstract: A surgical instrument and use of a surgical instrument in open surgery. The instrument has two gripping limbs and a blocking element that releasably locks the gripping limbs relative to one another. The blocking element has a female locking assembly and a male locking assembly. The female locking assembly has a mechanical control device for locking and releasing a locking portion of the male locking assembly. A mechanical control assembly is assigned to the male locking assembly and moves the locking portion of the male locking assembly out of an end position that defines a neutral position into an end position that defines a functional position and, conversely, out of the end position that defines the functional position into the end position that defines the neutral position. The control assembly includes securing elements that secure the locking portion in both end positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Nikolaus Hafner, Eugen Herner, Hannes Kizenberger, Erik Walberg
  • Patent number: 11246652
    Abstract: Surgical tissue fusion instrument and support structure having two gripping structures which are movable relative to each other and which are designed to bring together biological tissue sections that are to be connected to each other, with heat-generating means which are assigned to the gripping structures and, during tissue fusion, cause heat to be introduced in the area of a connection site of the biological tissue sections, and also with a support structure which is held between the gripping structures and, during tissue fusion, is operatively connected to the tissue sections. The support structure has at least one additional physical functional structure for aiding or promoting the tissue fusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: AESCULAP AG
    Inventors: Rainer Bargon, Bernd Blender, Stefan Eick, Nikolaus Hafner, Patrick Heizmann, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber, Christof Merckle, Erich Odermatt, Christoph Rothweiler
  • Publication number: 20220008119
    Abstract: A bipolar sealing instrument includes a first actuating mechanism for manual actuation of a tool provided at a distal instrument tip at least in a low-load working force range. A second actuating mechanism includes an electric motor configured to be automatically activated when a high-load working force range is reached, in order to subsequently transfer the tool into a high-load working posture/position in a motor-assisted or fully automatic manner supporting the manual actuation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Maser, Eugen Herner, Erik Walberg
  • Patent number: 11185343
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an instrument shaft, two instrument branches that can be positioned relatively to one another in a working position and a rest position, a handle element on which an operating element is movably arranged for positioning the instrument branches, and a coupling mechanism having a translating unit that converts a movement of the operating element, non-linearly, into a relative movement of at least one of the two instrument branches. The coupling mechanism includes at least one bias element that biases the mechanism into the rest position and/or into the working position of the instrument branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: AESCULAP AG
    Inventors: Erik Walberg, Eugen Herner
  • Patent number: 11090076
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a shaft portion which at least partly houses an axially movable cutting element. A handle receives the shaft portion. A trigger element for the cutting element is movably arranged on the handle. The instrument also includes a coupling mechanism which converts a rotation of the trigger element into an axial movement of the cutting element with the interposition of a pinion. The coupling mechanism is designed such that the rotation of the trigger element produces a rotation of the pinion about the central axis thereof and additionally an axial movement of the central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: AESCULAP AG
    Inventors: Erik Walberg, Eugen Herner
  • Patent number: 10779844
    Abstract: Surgical tissue fusion instrument having two gripping structures which are movable relative to each other, are designed for gripping and bringing together biological tissue sections, and are assigned heat-generating means designed in such a way that tissue fusion takes place between the biological tissue sections by heat being supplied in the area of the gripping structures. At least one gripping structure is assigned a fluid-conducting system, which is designed to supply at least one liquid or flowable additive to the tissue sections during a tissue fusion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: AESCULAP AG
    Inventors: Rainer Bargon, Bernd Blender, Stefan Eick, Nikolaus Hafner, Patrick Heizmann, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber, Christof Merckle, Erich Odermatt, Christoph Rothweiler
  • Publication number: 20200078034
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an instrument shaft, two instrument branches that can be positioned relatively to one another in a working position and a rest position, a handle element on which an operating element is movably arranged for positioning the instrument branches, and a coupling mechanism having a translating unit that converts a movement of the operating element, non-linearly, into a relative movement of at least one of the two instrument branches. The coupling mechanism includes at least one bias element that biases the mechanism into the rest position and/or into the working position of the instrument branches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: ERIK WALBERG, EUGEN HERNER
  • Patent number: 10575896
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument includes mutually movable instrument legs each comprising one or more electrode faces between which tissue can be clamped and treated in electrothermal manner. The movement of the instrument legs relative to each other can be delimited by at least two spacers which are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the instrument legs and act on the instrument legs. At least one electrode face portion subjected to deflection in a closed position of the instrument legs is formed to be bow-shaped, in particular concave, the curvature being contrary to the bending direction to be expected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Aesculap AG
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber
  • Publication number: 20200008831
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a shaft portion which at least partly houses an axially movable cutting element. A handle receives the shaft portion. A trigger element for the cutting element is movably arranged on the handle. The instrument also includes a coupling mechanism which converts a rotation of the trigger element into an axial movement of the cutting element with the interposition of a pinion. The coupling mechanism is designed such that the rotation of the trigger element produces a rotation of the pinion about the central axis thereof and additionally an axial movement of the central axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: ERIK WALBERG, EUGEN HERNER
  • Patent number: 10398496
    Abstract: A surgical instrument in HF design includes two tissue branches, at least one of the tissue branches being movable relative to the other tissue branch and being able to be applied to the other tissue branch with a predetermined or predeterminable contact pressure via an actuation mechanism while clamping body tissue between the tissue branches. A clamping pressure controlling or adjustment device is interconnected in a force or torque gear train between the actuation mechanism and the at least one movable tissue branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Aesculap AG
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Nikolaus Hafner, Eugen Herner, Patrick Heizmann
  • Publication number: 20190150964
    Abstract: Surgical tissue fusion instrument having two gripping structures which are movable relative to each other, are designed for gripping and bringing together biological tissue sections, and are assigned heat-generating means designed in such a way that tissue fusion takes place between the biological tissue sections by heat being supplied in the area of the gripping structures. At least one gripping structure is assigned a fluid-conducting system, which is designed to supply at least one liquid or flowable additive to the tissue sections during a tissue fusion process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Rainer Bargon, Bernd Blender, Stefan Eick, Nikolaus Hafner, Patrick Heizmann, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber, Christof Merckle, Erich Odermatt, Christoph Rothweiler
  • Patent number: 10092350
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument including a jaw part made up of mutually movable instrument legs which have facing sides on which one or more electrode areas are arranged/formed in each case, the movement of the instrument legs relative to each other being able to be limited by at least one first spacer acting on proximal end portions of the instrument legs and at least one second spacer acting on distal end portions of the instrument legs. At least one of the spacers on at least one electrode is manufactured from an electrically conductive material and is connected to the electrode in electroconductive fashion. Furthermore, the spacer cooperates with a local spacer abutment surface which is made of a non-conductive material and arranged in electrically insulating manner on at least one opposing electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Aesculap AG
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber
  • Publication number: 20180214201
    Abstract: Surgical tissue fusion instrument and support structure having two gripping structures which are movable relative to each other and which are designed to bring together biological tissue sections that are to be connected to each other, with heat-generating means which are assigned to the gripping structures and, during tissue fusion, cause heat to be introduced in the area of a connection site of the biological tissue sections, and also with a support structure which is held between the gripping structures and, during tissue fusion, is operatively connected to the tissue sections. The support structure has at least one additional physical functional structure for aiding or promoting the tissue fusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Rainer Bargon, Bernd Blender, Stefan Eick, Nikolaus Hafner, Patrick Heizmann, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber, Christof Merckle, Erich Odermatt, Christoph Rothweiler
  • Patent number: 9867655
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument includes mutually movable instrument legs each comprising one or more electrode faces between which tissue can be clamped and treated in electrothermal manner. The movement of the instrument legs relative to each other can be delimited by at least two spacers which are spaced from each other in the longitudinal extension of the instrument legs and act on the instrument legs. At least one electrode face portion subjected to deflection in a closed position of the instrument legs is formed to be bow-shaped, in particular concave, the curvature being contrary to the bending direction to be expected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: AESCULAP AG
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber
  • Publication number: 20170360500
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument includes mutually movable instrument legs each comprising one or more electrode faces between which tissue can be clamped and treated in electrothermal manner. The movement of the instrument legs relative to each other can be delimited by at least two spacers which are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the instrument legs and act on the instrument legs. At least one electrode face portion subjected to deflection in a closed position of the instrument legs is formed to be bow-shaped, in particular concave, the curvature being contrary to the bending direction to be expected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber
  • Publication number: 20170135751
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument includes a jaw part with instrument branches which are movable towards each other. One or more electrode surfaces are arranged on mutually facing sides of the branches. Relative movement of the instrument branches can be limited by at least one proximal spacer acting on proximal end portions of the instrument branches. At least one medial spacer acts on a medial portion, and at least one distal spacer acts on distal end portions of the instrument branches. The proximal and/or the distal spacer are made of electrically non-conductive material, and the at least one medial spacer includes at least one electrode made of an electrically conductive material and connected electrically conductively to the electrode. The at least one medial spacer interacts with a local insulation component made of a non-conductive material, which insulation component is arranged in an electrically insulating manner on at least one opposite electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: Aesculap AG
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber
  • Patent number: 9603655
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument includes a proximal end and a distal end having a jaw member assembly at the distal end including a first jaw member and a second jaw member movable relative thereto. The jaw members can be transferred relative to each other from an opening position into a gripping position in which they are arranged to be closer to each other than in the opening position. Each jaw member has at least one electrode connectable to an electric power source and electrodes of both jaw members being adapted to interact for sealing body tissue held between the jaw members in the gripping position, actuating means for transferring the jaw members from the opening position into the gripping position and means for limiting the closing width of the jaw members, when they are transferred from the opening position into the gripping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Aesculap AG
    Inventors: Theodor Lutze, Anton Keller, Dieter Weisshaupt, Stefan Eick, Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner
  • Publication number: 20150282866
    Abstract: A surgical instrument in HF design includes two tissue branches, at least one of the tissue branches being movable relative to the other tissue branch and being able to be applied to the other tissue branch with a predetermined or predeterminable contact pressure via an actuation mechanism while clamping body tissue between the tissue branches. A clamping pressure controlling or adjustment device is interconnected in a force or torque gear train between the actuation mechanism and the at least one movable tissue branch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Nikolaus Hafner, Eugen Herner, Patrick Heizmann
  • Publication number: 20150011997
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument includes mutually movable instrument legs each comprising one or more electrode faces between which tissue can be clamped and treated in electrothermal manner. The movement of the instrument legs relative to each other can be delimited by at least two spacers which are spaced from each other in the longitudinal extension of the instrument legs and act on the instrument legs. At least one electrode face portion subjected to deflection in a closed position of the instrument legs is formed to be bow-shaped, in particular concave, the curvature being contrary to the bending direction to be expected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber
  • Publication number: 20140371743
    Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument including a jaw part made up of mutually movable instrument legs which have facing sides on which one or more electrode areas are arranged/formed in each case, the movement of the instrument legs relative to each other being able to be limited by at least one first spacer acting on proximal end portions of the instrument legs and at least one second spacer acting on distal end portions of the instrument legs. At least one of the spacers on at least one electrode is manufactured from an electrically conductive material and is connected to the electrode in electroconductive fashion. Furthermore, the spacer cooperates with a local spacer abutment surface which is made of a non-conductive material and arranged in electrically insulating manner on at least one opposing electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Aesculap AG
    Inventors: Christoph Rothweiler, Eugen Herner, Christian Huber