Patents by Inventor Stefan Ernsperger

Stefan Ernsperger 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: 20240077714
    Abstract: A microscopy system includes a tracking camera for pose detection of a marker, a device configured to determine a working distance, a movable optical element, the pose of which can be changed to set a capture region of the tracking camera and/or at least two tracking illumination devices, at least one optical element for beam guidance of the radiation generated by the tracking illumination devices, and a controller configured to control the movable optical element and/or the tracking illumination devices, in which the pose of the movable optical element can be set based on the working distance and/or in which an operating mode and/or an illumination region of the tracking illumination devices can be set based on the working distance. In addition, a method for operating a microscopy system is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Raab, Jonathan Essig, Stefan Ernsperger, Natalie Krieg, Andrè Müller
  • Patent number: 9885858
    Abstract: A surgical microscopy system includes a surgical microscope with a control device and with focusable imaging optics for observing an operation field. The microscope is arranged on a stand with a base unit. The stand is embodied with linear drives and/or rotary joints in such a way that the surgical microscope is displaceable along three direction axes and rotatable about three axes of rotation relative to the base unit. For renewed focusing to a desired point, position and/or rotational sensors are assigned to each of the drives and/or joints for each of the direction axes and position and/or rotary angle sensors are assigned to each of the drives and/or joints for each of the axes of rotation and a focusing sensor for a focal point is assigned to the focusing imaging optics. A position and alignment of the microscope relative to the base unit and the focal point are storable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Stefan Ernsperger, Hans-Juergen Seitz
  • Patent number: 9829692
    Abstract: An optical observation unit (1) has an illumination apparatus (43) for illuminating an observation object (3). The illumination apparatus (43, 143) has a light source (45) emitting illumination light with a first color temperature, and a spectral filter (49) that can be inserted in the illumination beam path. The spectral filter (49) converts the illumination light with the first color temperature into illumination light with a second color temperature. The illumination apparatus further has an attenuator (51) that can be inserted in the illumination beam path in place of the spectral filter (49) and has a transmission characteristic that leads to an intensity reduction of the illumination light with the first color temperature that corresponds to the intensity reduction of the illumination light with the second color temperature by way of the spectral filter (49).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
    Inventors: Peter Reimer, Thomas Kratzer, Stefan Ernsperger, Bruno Stich
  • Publication number: 20160170196
    Abstract: A method for operating an optical observation apparatus (1) comprising at least one eyepiece (23), at least one camera (25) and an observation beam path (3) for displaying an object field image (45) is provided. In the method, a superimposition beam path (4) representing an electronically generated superimposition image (43) is superposed onto the observation beam path (3), wherein the observation beam path (3), onto which the superimposition beam path (4) has been superposed, has one eyepiece branch (17) leading to the at least one eyepiece (23) and one camera branch (19) leading to the at least one camera (25). The at least one camera (25) records an image on the basis of the camera branch (19).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Lisa ROSSMANN, Stefan ERNSPERGER, Ulrich GOLD
  • Patent number: 9232983
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining an illumination beam dose in surgical field illumination. Said method comprises the following steps: at least one actual illumination-relevant value is sensed; and an illumination beam dose is calculated from said sensed actual value. Sensing of the actual illumination-relevant value includes sensing of a value of at least one adjustable parameter of an illumination device. Furthermore, simulated dose characteristics associated with the adjustable parameter are selected, at least one simulated dose value is calculated taking into account the value of the adjustable parameter and the associated simulated dose characteristics, and the illumination beam dose is calculated taking into account the at least one simulated dose value. Also disclosed are an apparatus, a computer program product, and a surgical microscope for carrying out said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Stefan Ernsperger, Peter Reimer
  • Publication number: 20150346473
    Abstract: A surgical microscopy system includes a surgical microscope with a control device and with focusable imaging optics for observing an operation field. The microscope is arranged on a stand with a base unit. The stand is embodied with linear drives and/or rotary joints in such a way that the surgical microscope is displaceable along three direction axes and rotatable about three axes of rotation relative to the base unit. For renewed focusing to a desired point, position and/or rotational sensors are assigned to each of the drives and/or joints for each of the direction axes and position and/or rotary angle sensors are assigned to each of the drives and/or joints for each of the axes of rotation and a focusing sensor for a focal point is assigned to the focusing imaging optics. A position and alignment of the microscope relative to the base unit and the focal point are storable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Ernsperger, Hans-Juergen Seitz
  • Publication number: 20150224643
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an operator-controlled element for a positioning device of a medical apparatus for operation by the mouth of an operator. The operator-controlled element includes a main body and a first sensor for receiving a first operator signal that can be triggered by the operator with the mouth. The operator-controlled element includes a control unit, which is configured to generate a first control signal for a first drive of the positioning device depending on the first operator signal. The invention further relates to a medical apparatus with such an operator-controlled element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Ernsperger, Frank Rudolph
  • Patent number: 8976238
    Abstract: An optical observation apparatus has an optical image channel for viewing optical field-of-view images, a processing unit to generate a first electronic insertion image via a first electronic image channel, and a data insertion image projector for generating an optical insertion image from the first electronic insertion image and inserting that image into the optical field-of-view image. An acquisition device acquires the optical field-of-view image without the optical insertion image inserted by the data insertion image projector. A second electronic image channel has a superimposition module, that superimposes the electronic field-of-view image with an electronic insertion image and provides the superimposed images via the second electronic image channel. The processing unit generates a second electronic insertion image, provides available display data elements, and makes it possible to assemble the electronic insertion images and assign them to different electronic image channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Stefan Ernsperger, Gerhard Gaida
  • Publication number: 20110141262
    Abstract: An optical observation apparatus has an optical image channel for viewing optical field-of-view images, a processing unit to generate a first electronic insertion image via a first electronic image channel, and a data insertion image projector for generating an optical insertion image from the first electronic insertion image and inserting that image into the optical field-of-view image. An acquisition device acquires the optical field-of-view image without the optical insertion image inserted by the data insertion image projector. A second electronic image channel has a superimposition module, that superimposes the electronic field-of-view image with an electronic insertion image and provides the superimposed images via the second electronic image channel. The processing unit generates a second electronic insertion image, provides available display data elements, and makes it possible to assemble the electronic insertion images and assign them to different electronic image channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Ernsperger, Gerhard Gaida
  • Publication number: 20110066408
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining an illumination beam dose in surgical field illumination. Said method comprises the following steps: at least one actual illumination-relevant value is sensed; and an illumination beam dose is calculated from said sensed actual value. Sensing of the actual illumination-relevant value includes sensing of a value of at least one adjustable parameter of an illumination device. Furthermore, simulated dose characteristics associated with the adjustable parameter are selected, at least one simulated dose value is calculated taking into account the value of the adjustable parameter and the associated simulated dose characteristics, and the illumination beam dose is calculated taking into account the at least one simulated dose value. Also disclosed are an apparatus, a computer program product, and a surgical microscope for carrying out said method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Ernsperger, Peter Reimer
  • Publication number: 20100261966
    Abstract: An optical observation unit (1) has an illumination apparatus (43) for illuminating an observation object (3). The illumination apparatus (43, 143) has a light source (45) emitting illumination light with a first color temperature, and a spectral filter (49) that can be inserted in the illumination beam path. The spectral filter (49) converts the illumination light with the first color temperature into illumination light with a second color temperature. The illumination apparatus further has an attenuator (51) that can be inserted in the illumination beam path in place of the spectral filter (49) and has a transmission characteristic that leads to an intensity reduction of the illumination light with the first color temperature that corresponds to the intensity reduction of the illumination light with the second color temperature by way of the spectral filter (49).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Reimer, Thomas Kratzer, Stefan Ernsperger, Bruno Stich
  • Patent number: 7594188
    Abstract: An operating menu is provided for display with a touch-sensitive display screen (105) in a surgical microscope (100). The operating menu has a first operator-controlled area (106) wherein at least one touch-sensitive actuation field (107) is provided for adjusting a surgical microscope operating mode. In a second operator-controlled area (108) of the operating menu, a touch-sensitive actuation field (109) is provided with a function dependent upon an adjusted surgical microscope operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG
    Inventors: Frank Rudolph, Karlheinz Hermann, Martin Schneider, Stefan Ernsperger
  • Publication number: 20050041282
    Abstract: An operating menu is provided for display with a touch-sensitive display screen (105) in a surgical microscope (100). The operating menu has a first operator-controlled area (106) wherein at least one touch-sensitive actuation field (107) is provided for adjusting a surgical microscope operating mode. In a second operator-controlled area (108) of the operating menu, a touch-sensitive actuation field (109) is provided with a function dependent upon an adjusted surgical microscope operating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Frank Rudolph, Karlheinz Hermann, Martin Schneider, Stefan Ernsperger
  • Patent number: 6177988
    Abstract: An arrangement for measuring the power or energy of optical radiation of radiation sources, especially laser radiation is disclosed. It comprises a module defining an open or at least partially closed hollow space, wherein the inner walls or outer walls of the module are entirely or partially occupied by detectors for generating measurement signals which are proportional to the measured parameters of the radiation sources. The detectors are connected together in such a way that their generated measurement signals are further processed to form at least one resultant sum signal or the detectors are connected to a downstream processing device to form at least one resultant sum signal. This at least one resultant sum signal is relatively independent from the position, arrangement and radiating characteristic of the examined radiation source in the module. At least one opening or guide-through is provided in the module for inserting the radiation source to be examined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Dubnack, Stefan Ernsperger, Frank Luemkemann, Heino Weigand