The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 31, 2016
Filed:
Nov. 14, 2013
Karl Storz Gmbh & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, DE;
Viktor Josef Wimmer, Seeon, DE;
Robert Ayrenschmalz, Niederaichbach, DE;
Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, DE;
Abstract
A flexible endoscope shaft with a shaft body which, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the endoscope shaft, is composed of at least two shaft portions with different degrees of flexibility, wherein at least one shaft portion is composed of at least one spring element, and wherein all the spring elements of the shaft portions, which, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the shaft body, are arranged proximally from the outer distal shaft portion, are designed as reversibly deformable spring rods extending in the longitudinal direction of the shaft body. In order to create a flexible endoscope shaft that can be produced easily and cost-effectively, each of the shaft portions having at least one spring rod has at least one further spring rod, which is integrally bonded to the other spring rods of the respective shaft portion.