Abstract: A housing for accommodating optical and electronic components of a video camera of a medical video endoscope. The housing including: a first housing part, a second housing part, the housing parts assembled together to form inner chambers for mounting the optical and electronic components and an axial passage for optically connecting the inner chambers; a window disposed in an end opening in the assembled housing parts, electrical connectors disposed in a wall in the assembled housing parts, wherein, in an unassembled configuration, the inner chambers are accessible from a surface substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the housing parts, and the first and second housing parts are configured to mate with each other in such a way that the inner chambers are hermetically sealed from an exterior of the assembled first and second housing parts.

Abstract: A video endoscope with sideways viewing direction including an endoscope shaft having a jacket tube, an entry window joined hermetically to the jacket tube at the distal end of the jacket tube, a sideways viewing optical subassembly and a sensor module having an optical sensor, wherein the sensor module is disposed on a distal side of a longitudinally extended sensor module carrier that is rotatably mounted with respect to the jacket tube. In the video endoscope, the sideways viewing optical subassembly can be formed as an attachment which can be plugged distally onto the sensor module and/or the sensor module carrier and which is rotatably mounted with respect to the sensor module and/or the sensor module carrier, wherein the attachment has at least one lock which interacts with at least one corresponding lock on the jacket tube, such that the attachment is rotationally fixed with respect to the jacket tube.

Abstract: A video endoscope including: a endoscope shaft; a hermetically enclosed video-optical unit arranged in the endoscope shaft, wherein the video-optical unit comprises an enclosure including a substantially cylindrical, hermetically sealed housing having a distally arranged entry window, an objective lens, an image sensor unit, and one or more signal lines, the housing being connected to an outer jacket tube in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein the image sensor unit is mounted in the housing rotatably about a longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft and comprises at least one image sensor, wherein, in order to rotate the image sensor unit, a magnetic coupling with an outer magnet and an inner magnet operationally connected to the outer magnet in a magnetic manner, is arranged in the area of the distal tip of the endoscope shaft.

Abstract: A set of prisms with a variable viewing direction including: three prisms; the first and third prisms each have a light entrance, mirror surface and light exit surfaces, the second prism has a beam path surface having light entrance and exit regions and at least two mirror surfaces, the first prism is pivoted relative to the second prism about an axis of rotation that runs through the mirror surface of the first prism and one of the at least two mirror surfaces of the second prism, and the third prism is immovably arranged with respect to the second prism, and the second prism is sectionally wider than the first and/or third prisms transversally to a beam path such that at least one lateral wider section of the single beam path surface of the second prism extends on at least one side beyond the light entrance surface of the third prism.

Abstract: A medical endoscope including: a plurality of tubes arranged one inside the other; wherein an outer tube of the plurality of tubes is made of metal, and at least one inner tube of the plurality of tubes is made of ceramic, such as tungsten carbide. The at least one inner tube can be configured as a fiber tube inwardly delimiting a fiber chamber filled with optical fibers, where the fiber tube is made of ceramic, such as a sintered ceramic.

Abstract: A housing for accommodating optical and electronic components of a video camera of a medical video endoscope. The housing including: a first housing part, a second housing part, the housing parts assembled together to form inner chambers for mounting the optical and electronic components and an axial passage for optically connecting the inner chambers; a window disposed in an end opening in the assembled housing parts, electrical connectors disposed in a wall in the assembled housing parts, wherein, in an unassembled configuration, the inner chambers are accessible from a surface substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the housing parts, and the first and second housing parts are configured to mate with each other in such a way that the inner chambers are hermetically sealed from an exterior of the assembled first and second housing parts.

Abstract: A video endoscope including: an elongated housing; an image sensor unit arranged in the elongated housing; an optical transmitting unit arranged in the elongated housing and connected to the image sensor unit; and a through contact device, wherein the optical transmitting unit is arranged at a proximal end of the elongated housing on the through-contact device, the through-contact device penetrates through a wall of the elongated housing and the through-contact device is arranged such that it is mounted in a hermetically sealed manner in the wall of the elongated housing.

Abstract: A video endoscope including: a endoscope shaft; a hermetically enclosed video-optical unit arranged in the endoscope shaft, wherein the video-optical unit comprises an enclosure including a substantially cylindrical, hermetically sealed housing having a distally arranged entry window, an objective lens, an image sensor unit, and one or more signal lines, the housing being connected to an outer jacket tube in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein the image sensor unit is mounted in the housing rotatably about a longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft and comprises at least one image sensor, wherein, in order to rotate the image sensor unit, a magnetic coupling with an outer magnet and an inner magnet operationally connected to the outer magnet in a magnetic manner, is arranged in the area of the distal tip of the endoscope shaft.

Abstract: A video endoscope with sideways viewing direction including an endoscope shaft having a jacket tube, an entry window joined hermetically to the jacket tube at the distal end of the jacket tube, a sideways viewing optical subassembly and a sensor module having an optical sensor, wherein the sensor module is disposed on a distal side of a longitudinally extended sensor module carrier that is rotatably mounted with respect to the jacket tube. In the video endoscope, the sideways viewing optical subassembly can be formed as an attachment which can be plugged distally onto the sensor module and/or the sensor module carrier and which is rotatably mounted with respect to the sensor module and/or the sensor module carrier, wherein the attachment has at least one lock which interacts with at least one corresponding lock on the jacket tube, such that the attachment is rotationally fixed with respect to the jacket tube.

Abstract: An endoscope optics receiving a fiber tube to separate optic fibers running between the tubes from an image guide fitted with a distal objective lens, the objective lens being configured to look downward at an oblique angle relative to the axis of the outer tube, the distal end face of the endoscope optics being configured perpendicularly to the line of sight, where a lateral bundle portion of the optic fibers, which is to the side of the fiber tube, terminates at distally bonded fibers substantially parallel to the line of sight, in the end face. The bundle portion is enclosed at its distal end zone by a guide duct.

Abstract: An endoscope optics having an outer tube receiving a fiber tube to separate optic fibers running between the tubes from an image guide fitted with a distal objective lens, the objective lens being configured to look downward at an oblique angle relative to the axis of the outer tube, the distal end face of the endoscope optics being configured perpendicularly to the line of sight, where a lateral bundle portion of the optic fibers, which is to the side of the fiber tube, terminates at distally bonded fibers substantially parallel to the line of sight, in the end face. The bundle portion is enclosed at its distal end zone by a guide duct.

Abstract: A sensor material for fabricating instrumented clothing includes conductive rubber layer. Two electrodes are disposed within the rubber layer, are connectable to an external circuit and are separated by a separation distance to form an electrical path from one electrode to the other through an intermediate portion of the conducting rubber layer. The electrical resistance measured between the electrodes is indicative of strain in the intermediate portion of the conducting rubber layer, thus permitting measurements of movement of the fabric to be made. The fabric may be used to form articles that a user can wear, including a data glove, so that movements of the user may be detected and measured.

Abstract: The invention provides a robot hand that can mimic the movements of a human hand in operation. The robot hand includes a thumb and at least one opposing finger having at least two phalanxes connectable to each other by a distal phalanx joint. The thumb of the robot hand also includes a joint which allows the thumb to move transversely with respect to the opposing fingers. The robot hand can also include one or more additional fingers disposed on an opposite side of the thumb. The robot hand can be operated mechanically or electrically through controlling motors.