Karl Storz Endovision, Inc.

Other

Optimum Technologies, Inc.

Collins, James F., Jr.

Jeffrey Melanson

Randal B Chinnock

James P Barry

Bernard Dallemagne

Jacques Francois Bernard Marescaux

Martin Leonhard

Stefan Storz

Didier Raoul Daniel Mutter

Joel Leroy

Joseph Howard

James F Collins, Jr

Tyrel Waagen

Joel Jules Louis Leroy

Mimi Sommers

Sabine Zahler

Didier Mutter

Corey Sommers

James F Collins

A pressure control and leak test system for a medical instrument includes an upper housing, a valve member, and a vent opening arrangement. The upper housing includes a cavity for fluid communication with an interior of the medical instrument and an aperture in fluid communication with the cavity. The valve member includes a stem within the aperture and a cap section. The cap section includes a proximal-facing end with a bottom surface and a distal-facing end. The vent opening arrangement includes a first feature of the cap section and a second feature on the distal end of the upper housing. The valve member rotates relative to the housing causing the first feature and the second feature to seal the cap section with the housing in a first position and separate the cap section from the housing in a second position.

Pressure relief vent for sealed instruments

A pressure relief vent includes a vent enclosure, a connector, and a pressure relief arrangement. The vent enclosure defines a vent interior volume and the connector is operable to connect the vent enclosure to an instrument requiring pressure relief. The vent enclosure has a proximal end and a distal end, with the connector being located at the proximal end. The pressure relief arrangement is operable to remain in a closed condition in normal operation, but move from the closed condition to an open condition in response to a predefined pressure differential so as to release pressure from the instrument. A vent opening device may be included with the pressure relief vent and is operable to move the pressure relief arrangement to the open condition or open a separate passage through the vent enclosure to the atmosphere responsive to a manual operation applied at the vent enclosure distal end.

A medical instrument is provides that includes a handle, a shaft, and a tool insert. The tool insert is attachable to the shaft by a threaded connection which engages a slot connection and to the handle and by a retaining member for actuation of the tool.

Detachable articulating endoscopic tool cartridge

An endoscopic surgery apparatus is provided, including a tubular member, a handle located on a proximal end of the tubular member, and one or more pivotable arms detachably connected to a distal end of the tubular member. The tubular member has channels along its longitudinal axis, wherein at least one of the channels is an optical channel and at least one other channel is an illumination channel. The arms have guiding channels adapted to receive surgical tools, which direct the surgical tools. The arms are interchangeable with other arms of different configurations. Also, said arms have an open and a closed position, such that when the arms are in the closed position an opening is defined allowing viewing of a surgical site via the optical channel.

Endoscope system with pivotable arms

A method of transluminal surgery is provided, which utilizes an endoscopic surgery apparatus having pivotable arms attached by hinges on its distal end. The arms are interchangeable with arms of various configurations. The method includes the steps of inserting an endoscopic surgery apparatus into a body cavity of a patient, making an incision in the body cavity wall to allow access to the patient's abdominal cavity, and further inserting the apparatus through the incision. Surgery is performed at the desired surgical site and the apparatus is withdrawn into the body cavity where the incision is closed. Finally, the apparatus is withdrawn from the patient's body.

Surgical method utilizing transluminal endoscope and instruments

An endoscopic surgical instrument is provided that includes a handle portion, an elongated middle portion, an articulating portion and a tool portion. The tool portion is steerable by control mechanisms disposed on the handle portion which are accessible to a single hand of a user of the endoscopic surgical instrument. The endoscopic surgical instrument is advantageously employed in a variety of endoscopic surgical techniques, including transgastric or transluminal surgery.

Articulating endoscope instrument

A fluid atomizer is disclosed. The fluid atomizer comprises a body having a proximal end and a distal end. A removable reservoir containing a fluid disposed therein is connected to the body. A discharge plate is disposed at the distal end, wherein the discharge plate includes a plurality of openings extending therethrough. An ultrasonic oscillator is disposed in the body for transmitting the fluid from the reservoir to the discharge plate and through the plurality of openings, wherein transmission of the fluid through the plurality of openings atomizes the fluid.

Ophthalmic drug delivery system

A system for transmitting the light required for a medical device is disclosed generally comprising an endoscope body, a light guide for transmitting light from a light source to the instrument body, where the light guide includes a bundle of optical fibers having a tapered portion, and a ceramic housing disposed around at least part of the tapered portion of the bundle. In certain embodiments, the ceramic has a pigment for improving insulation. In some embodiments, the taper and ceramic housing are located in an endoscope handle, which may be coupled to the endoscope body via an input post, and in certain embodiments, the inner diameter of the ceramic housing has an increase substantially equal to the decrease of diameter of the taper.

Ceramic fiber optic taper housing for medical devices

A hand-held dental mirror carrying a sharpening stone for a dental instrument such as a curette, comprising a shaft supporting a mirror, a hand grip coupled to the shaft, and a sharpening stone coupled to the shaft.

Dental instrument sharpening stone system

A variably-polarizing optical probe assembly. The assembly includes an optical probe having one or more optical light delivery channels that emit incident light from the sample end of the probe toward a sample being investigated, and one or more optical light-receiving channels that receive incident light from the sample. A variably-polarizing substrate assembly is coupled to the sample end of the probe. The substrate assembly includes an optically transmitting substrate and one or more discrete polarizer areas on a face of the substrate, each such polarizer area defining a polarization orientation, with the polarizer areas together defining one or more different polarization orientations. The substrate assembly is arranged relative to the probe such that one polarizer area covers at least one light delivery channel and one polarizer area covers at least one light-receiving channel.

Polarized optical probes

Misting device

Methods of creating tooling designs for, and the production of, one or more polarizer groups on a workpiece. Each such group includes an optically transmitting substrate with one or more discrete polarizer pixels thereon. The polarizer groups are used with optical instruments having a number of optical channels. In the method, one or more physical characteristics of at least one optical channel of the optical instrument are measured. Based on the determined physical characteristics, one or more discrete polarizer groups to be created on the substrate are defined, by defining for each such group a location on the substrate for the group, the size, shape and location within the group of each polarizer pixel of the group, and the polarization orientation for each such polarizer pixel of the group. The area of each polarizer pixel is then filled with tooling information that will establish its polarization orientation.

Growing community of inventors

Sturbridge, MA, United States of America

Jeffrey Melanson