Patents by Inventor Thorsten Ahrens

Thorsten Ahrens 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: 20230030465
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment relates to an input unit (10) for operating a medical instrument (12) with a hollow shaft (14) extending along a longitudinal axis (L) for receiving guide wires (20), with a tool (16) arranged on the distal side of the shaft (14), extending along an extension axis (E) and a control unit (18) arranged proximally on the shaft (14) for handling the tool (16) by means of the guide wires (20), comprising first input means (22) for continuous, pivoting and rotation-true, preferably uninterrupted and/or absolute, conversion of an ergonomically limited user input, in particular a natural user movement of movable first operating means, into an adjustment movement of the tool (16) in a first handling mode, in order to pivot the tool (16) by means of the control unit (18) relative to the longitudinal axis (L) in a limited way and/or to rotate about the extension axis (E) in a limited way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Sven Axel GRÜNER, Janosz SCHNEIDER, Dominik LÄNGLE, Jochen STEFAN, Thorsten AHRENS
  • Publication number: 20230029607
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment relates to an input unit (10) for operating a medical instrument (12) with a hollow shaft (14) extending along a longitudinal axis (L) for receiving guide wires (20), with a tool (16) arranged on the distal side of the shaft (14), extending along an extension axis (E) and a control unit (18) arranged proximally on the shaft (14) for handling the tool (16) by means of the guide wires (20), comprising first input means (22) for continuous, pivoting and rotation-true, preferably uninterrupted and/or absolute, conversion of an ergonomically limited user input, in particular a natural user movement of movable first operating means, into an adjustment movement of the tool (16) in a first handling mode, in order to pivot the tool (16) by means of the control unit (18) relative to the longitudinal axis (L) in a limited way and/or to rotate about the extension axis (E) in a limited way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Janosz SCHNEIDER, Dominik LÄNGLE, Sven Axel GRÜNER, Jochen STEFAN, Thorsten AHRENS
  • Publication number: 20230037240
    Abstract: One embodiment relates to a medical instrument (1) with a hollow shaft (2), an actuating unit (4) arranged at the proximal end (3) of the shaft (2) and an instrument tip (6) with an instrument (7) arranged at the distal end (5) of the shaft (2), wherein the instrument (7) can be actuated via an actuating element (8) which is mounted in the shaft (2) in an axially displaceable manner, and wherein the actuating element (8) is operatively connected to the actuating unit (4) on the proximal side, and wherein the instrument tip (6) can be pivoted relative to the longitudinal axis (10) of the shaft (2) via a joint mechanism (9). According to one embodiment, the instrument tip (6) can be rotated endlessly, wherein a fixing device is provided on the instrument tip (6) with which the loose end (17, 23) of a sewing material (18, 24) can be fixed on the instrument tip (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Janosz SCHNEIDER, Dominik LÄNGLE, Sven Axel GRÜNER, Jochen STEFAN, Thorsten AHRENS
  • Patent number: 10769471
    Abstract: A system for holding an image display apparatus (60) for displaying an image captured by means of an image capturing apparatus (20) comprises a movable holding apparatus (70) for an alterable hold of the image display apparatus (60), a controllable drive device (72) for moving the holding apparatus (70), comprising a control signal input (74) for receiving a control signal, and a controller (40) comprising a signal input (42) for receiving a signal that represents an orientation or a change in the orientation of the viewing direction (28) of the image capturing apparatus (20) in space or that facilitates a determination of the orientation or the change in the orientation of the viewing direction (28) of the image capturing apparatus (20), and comprising a control signal output (47), couplable to the control signal input (74) of the controllable drive device (72), for providing a control signal for controlling the controllable drive device (72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Chunman Fan, Johannes Fallert, Yaokun Zhang, Thorsten Ahrens, Sebastian Wagner
  • Publication number: 20200110956
    Abstract: A system for holding an image display apparatus (60) for displaying an image captured by means of an image capturing apparatus (20) comprises a movable holding apparatus (70) for an alterable hold of the image display apparatus (60), a controllable drive device (72) for moving the holding apparatus (70), comprising a control signal input (74) for receiving a control signal, and a controller (40) comprising a signal input (42) for receiving a signal that represents an orientation or a change in the orientation of the viewing direction (28) of the image capturing apparatus (20) in space or that facilitates a determination of the orientation or the change in the orientation of the viewing direction (28) of the image capturing apparatus (20), and comprising a control signal output (47), couplable to the control signal input (74) of the controllable drive device (72), for providing a control signal for controlling the controllable drive device (72).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: Chunman FAN, Johannes FALLERT, Yaokun ZHANG, Thorsten AHRENS, Sebastian WAGNER
  • Patent number: 5921916
    Abstract: An endoscope, in particular for applications in urology, has a hollow shaft (10), an optical viewing system (12) which can be inserted in the hollow shaft (10) and has a fiber-optic illumination system, an optical fiber (16) which can be introduced with the optical system (12) into the hollow shaft (10) and connected at its proximal end to an external laser source and is bent at its distal end away from the shaft axis. In order to allow irradiation of tissue lying closely packed around the hollow shaft, an indeformable holding tube (14) which is parallel to the optical system (12) and passes through the hollow shaft (10) is provided; this tube accommodates the optical fiber (16) and its distal end is bent at a fixed angle in relation to the shaft axis and accommodated entirely within the shaft cross-section. A spacer (36) with a radiation window (32) ensures that the tissue to be irradiated cannot lie next to the point (18) at which light emerges from the optical fiber (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Ueth & Haug GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Aeikens, Thorsten Ahrens, Rudiger Schwagler, Clemens Scholz
  • Patent number: 5713906
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for removing a prosthesis having a shaft engaged in a bone cavity. The device includes an elongated chisel blade having a cutting edge at its front end, and slidably disposed and longitudinally supported by a body and extending beyond a front face of the body. A driving-in member which, e.g., can be impacted by a hammer is removably coupled to the chisel blade and has an engaging pin attached thereto, the body having a free space for accepting this engaging pin, which engaging pin can extend through at least one engaging point in the chisel blade, so as to provide the chisel blade stably attached to the body while being easily removable therefrom. Various blades, of different thicknesses, can be utilized as part of the device. The body can have at least one circumferential rib to facilitate holding the device, and can have a handle extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction that the chisel blade extends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Ueth & Haug GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Grothues-Spork, Clemens Scholz, Thorsten Ahrens
  • Patent number: D914207
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jochen Stefan, Sven Gruener, Robin Merz, Thorsten Karge, Kay Behrendt, Thorsten Ahrens, Chuman Fan, Bennedikt Koehler