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US5882294A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Medical instrument having a manipulator

Assignee: Karl Storz SE and Co KG
•
Filing: 1995-07-11
•
Granted: 1999-03-16
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Expires: 2015-07-11
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Abstract

Abstract The description relates to a medical and especially an endoscopic instrument having a manipulator with a guide channel on which are arranged at least one drive and at least one guide wheel or roller the peripheral surface of which can be engaged with the outer contour of an instrument part in such a way that this instrument part can be moved to and from along its longitudinal axis in relation to the manipulator. The instrument of the invention is distinguished in that, to fit different outside diameters of the instrument part to be moved, at least one of the wheels can be moved at least in the direction perpendicular to the guide channel and/or at least one of the wheels has an elastic coating on its outer periphery.

Inventors

  • 👤 Karl Storz, deceased
  • 👤 Gerard Barki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 19:05
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/00234; A61B1/00; A61B1/012; A61B1/018; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/0105; A61M25/0113; A61B17/34; A61B17/3417; A61B2017/0046; A61B2017/00469

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim 139 words
A medical instrument and, in particular, an endoscopic instrument which is provided with a manipulator having a guide channel on which at least one drive wheel and at least one guide wheel preferably are disposed, the perimeter area of which can be brought to engage with the outer contour of an instrument part in such a manner that said instrument can be moved forward and backward in the direction of its longitudinal axis relative to said manipulator, characterized by for adaption to the different outside diameters of the to-be-moved instrument parts, at least one of said wheels being joined to a carrier which can be swiveled to be moveable at least in the direction perpendicular to said guide channel, the distance between a swivel axis of said carrier and the axis of rotation of said wheel is unequal zero.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 139 words
A medical instrument and, in particular, an endoscopic instrument which is provided with a manipulator having a guide channel on which at least one drive wheel and at least one guide wheel preferably are disposed, the perimeter area of which can be brought to engage with the outer contour of an instrument part in such a manner that said instrument can be moved forward and backward in the direction of its longitudinal axis relative to said manipulator, characterized by for adaption to the different outside diameters of the to-be-moved instrument parts, at least one of said wheels being joined to a carrier which can be swiveled to be moveable at least in the direction perpendicular to said guide channel, the distance between a swivel axis of said carrier and the axis of rotation of said wheel is unequal zero.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said wheels being disposed in a handpiece, which is provided with a channel for said to-be-moved instrument part.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said manipulator being provided at least on one side of said guide channel with a standard flange for connection to said instrument.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 15 words
An instrument according to claim 3, characterized by said standard flange being a Luer-lock flange.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
An instrument according to claim 3, characterized by said standard flange being a conventional endoscope shaft flange and, in particular, a bayonet flange.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said manipulator being firmly connected to a basic body of said instrument.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said carrier for said moveable wheel being attached in a manipulator basic body in a detachable manner.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by the shaft of said drive wheel being attached in said wheel carrier in a detachable manner.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 19 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said drive wheel being driven by hand by an operating person.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 37 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said instrument part being an endoscope having a flexible image conductor and a flexible illumination light conductor, which are combined into a flexible fiber unit having a small diameter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 42 words
An endoscope according to claim 10, characterized by said manipulator being provided at its distal end with a guide channel for said flexible fiber unit, which has, compared to the channel at the proximal end of the handpiece, a substantially smaller diameter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 17 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said manipulator having two wheels positioned opposite each other.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 33 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said drive wheel being coated with a rubber-like material in the region with which it engages with the outer contour of said to-be-moved instrument part.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 34 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said carrier being a disk which can be rotated about its center axis and the axis of rotation of said moveable wheel being attached eccentrically thereon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 34 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said carrier having a circular outer contour in the sections perpendicular to the swivel axis and being rotatable by at least 360°, in particular, by hand.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 20 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said drive wheel having a substantially smaller diameter than said guide wheel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said drive wheel having a substantially smaller diameter than said at least one guide wheel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 26 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said wheel being disposed in a handpiece, which is provided with a channel for said to-be-moved instrument part.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 25 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by said carrier for said moveable wheel being attached in a manipulator basic body in a detachable manner.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 24 words
An instrument according to claim 1, characterized by the shaft of said drive wheel being attached in said wheel carrier in a detachable manner.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 142 words
A medical instrument which is provided with a manipulator having a guide channel on which at least one drive wheel and at least one guide wheel are disposed, the perimeter area of which can be brought to engage with the outer contour of an instrument part in such a manner that said instrument part can be moved forward and backward in the direction of its longitudinal axis relative to said manipulator, characterized by for adaption to the different outside diameters of the to-be-moved instrument parts, at least one of said wheels being provided with an elastic coating on its outer contour and one of said wheels being provided with two screws which act upon the axis of said wheel to move it, the axis of said moveable wheel being pretensioned by a spring in the opposite direction of the screwing in direction.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 142 words
A medical instrument which is provided with a manipulator having a guide channel on which at least one drive wheel and at least one guide wheel are disposed, the perimeter area of which can be brought to engage with the outer contour of an instrument part in such a manner that said instrument part can be moved forward and backward in the direction of its longitudinal axis relative to said manipulator, characterized by for adaption to the different outside diameters of the to-be-moved instrument parts, at least one of said wheels being provided with an elastic coating on its outer contour and one of said wheels being provided with two screws which act upon the axis of said wheel to move it, the axis of said moveable wheel being pretensioned by a spring in the opposite direction of the screwing in direction.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 17 words
An instrument according to claim 21, characterized by said manipulator having two wheels positioned opposite each other.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 34 words
An instrument according to claim 21, characterized by one said drive wheel being coated with a rubber-like material in the region with which it engages with the outer contour of said to-be-moved instrument part.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 15 words
An instrument according to claim 23 characterized by said rubber-like material being a silicone rubber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 50 words
An instrument according to claim 23, characterized by the perimeters of said wheels being provided with two O-rings and by said wheels being disposed in such a manner that two O-rings are positioned opposite each other respectively, and by said O-rings enclosing a gap through which said instrument part passes.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 21 words
An instrument according to claim 21 characterized by said moveable wheel for adaption to different instrument diameters being said drive wheel.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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FR450345A Cited
DE494022C Cited
DE549080C Cited
US1984663A Cited
DE838938C Cited
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DE3536747A1 Cited
US4616648A Cited
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FR2681919A1 Cited
US5259587A Cited
EP0634146A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-03-15 2002-09-14 2003-03-16 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-03-15 2006-09-14 2007-03-16 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-03-15 2010-09-14 2011-03-16 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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