US6863650B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Endoscopic instrument for performing endoscopic procedures or examinations
Assignee: Karl Storz SE and Co KG
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Filing: 2000-01-20
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Granted: 2005-03-08
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Expires: 2020-01-20
Abstract
Abstract An endoscopic instrument, comprises a shaft, a handle arranged at a proximal end of said shaft, at least one working part arranged at a distal end of said shaft, and at least one marking having a fluorescing substance that can be excited to fluoresce by a light source, said marking is provided at a distal end section of said instrument. Said fluorescing substance is selected in such a way that its exciting range lies in an excitation range of a tumor-specific photosensitizer or in an excitation range of a tissue autofluorescence.
Inventors
- 👤 Klaus M. Irion
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:02
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/320016; A61B90/00; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3937; A61B2090/3941
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 46
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
An endoscopic system comprising an endoscopic instrument and a light source, said endoscopic instrument comprising: a shaft, a handle arranged at a proximal end of said shaft, at least one working part arranged at a distal end of said shaft, and at least one fluorescent marking, having a fluorescing substance that can be excited to fluoresce by a light source, said marking is provided at a distal end section of said endoscopic instrument, wherein said fluorescing substance is selected in such a way that its excitation range lies in an excitation range of a tumor-specific photosensitizer applied to tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument, said light source is selected in a way that it only emits light of specific wavelength ranges matching excitation ranges of both said fluorescent marking of said instrument and the tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument to which said tumor specific photosensitizer has been applied, therefore said same light source can excite both fluorescence phenomena.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
An endoscopic system comprising an endoscopic instrument and a light source, said endoscopic instrument comprising: a shaft, a handle arranged at a proximal end of said shaft, at least one working part arranged at a distal end of said shaft, and at least one fluorescent marking, having a fluorescing substance that can be excited to fluoresce by a light source, said marking is provided at a distal end section of said endoscopic instrument, wherein said fluorescing substance is selected in such a way that its excitation range lies in an excitation range of a tumor-specific photosensitizer applied to tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument, said light source is selected in a way that it only emits light of specific wavelength ranges matching excitation ranges of both said fluorescent marking of said instrument and the tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument to which said tumor specific photosensitizer has been applied, therefore said same light source can excite both fluorescence phenomena.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said fluorescing substance is selected to be excited in a range from 370 nm to 440 nm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said marking is configured as a marking element applied on said endoscopic instrument.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The endoscopic system of claim 3 , wherein said marking element is applied removably.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one distal working element is equipped with said marking.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The endoscopic system of claim 5 , wherein two working elements are present and are configured as two mouth parts that are each equipped with a marking.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein a marking is respectively provided both on said at least one working element and in a distal end section of said shaft.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said shaft is configured as a tubular shaft, and wherein said marking is configured as a tubular bushing that can be slid onto said tubular shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said marking is provided with a coating, made of a transparent material, that covers said fluorescing substance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said marking is configured as a marking element applied on said endoscopic instrument, said marking element can be inserted into a body on which an endoscopic procedure is being performed, and said marking element can be anchored there.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said fluorescing substance is selected from the group consisting of fluorescein, eosin, the porphyrins, cadmium sulfide, aminolevulinic acid, aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride, Acridine Orange, tetracyclines, auramine, rhodamine B, rhodamine G, auramine Carbol Fuchsin, and Nile Blue sulfate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein multiple markings with differently excitable fluorescing substances are provided.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein multiple markings containing different concentrations of said fluorescing substance are present.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein said marking is configured as a marking element that can be inserted into a body on which an endoscopic procedure is being performed, and can be anchored there, and wherein said marking element has a fluorescing substance corresponding to said of a further marking element inserted into said body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , further containing a light-supplying apparatus and an endoscopic observation instrument that is connected to a light source, selected in such a way that said fluorescing substance can be excited to fluoresce by said light source.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The endoscopic system of claim 15 , wherein said observation instrument is an endoscope.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The endoscopic system of claim 16 , wherein said endoscope is equipped with an endoscopic camera.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The endoscopic system of claim 17 , wherein there is provided downstream from said endoscopic camera an image processing system that continuously detects said fluorescing markings in an endoscopic image.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
The endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein at least one endoscopic manipulation instrument is provided, through which an observation element can be introduced into a body, and at least one marking with a fluorescing substance corresponding to the marking of said endoscopic instrument is provided on an inner side of said manipulation instrument.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The endoscopic system of claim 19 , wherein said manipulation instrument is a trokar and said observation element is an endoscope.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
The endoscopic system of claim 18 , wherein said light source emits pulsed light at least in a spectral excitation range of said fluorescing substance, and a pulse frequency corresponds to a video image frequency of said endoscopic camera.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The endoscopic system of claim 20 , wherein said observation instrument has, at a distal end thereof, a transparent element having a fluorescing substance.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
150 words
An endoscopic system comprising an endoscopic instrument and a light source, said endoscopic instrument comprising: a shaft, a handle arranged at a proximal end of said shaft, at least one working part arranged at a distal end of said shaft, and at least one fluorescent marking, having a fluorescing substance that can be excited to fluoresce by a light source, said marking is provided at a distal end section of said endoscopic instrument, wherein said fluorescing substance is selected in such a way that its excitation range lies in an excitation range of a tissue-autofluorescence of tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument, said light source is selected in a way that it only emits light of specific wavelength ranges matching excitation ranges of both said fluorescent marking of said instrument and said tissue auto-fluorescence of the tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument, therefore said same light source can excite both fluorescence phenomena.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
150 words
An endoscopic system comprising an endoscopic instrument and a light source, said endoscopic instrument comprising: a shaft, a handle arranged at a proximal end of said shaft, at least one working part arranged at a distal end of said shaft, and at least one fluorescent marking, having a fluorescing substance that can be excited to fluoresce by a light source, said marking is provided at a distal end section of said endoscopic instrument, wherein said fluorescing substance is selected in such a way that its excitation range lies in an excitation range of a tissue-autofluorescence of tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument, said light source is selected in a way that it only emits light of specific wavelength ranges matching excitation ranges of both said fluorescent marking of said instrument and said tissue auto-fluorescence of the tissue surrounding said endoscopic instrument, therefore said same light source can excite both fluorescence phenomena.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein said fluorescing substance can be excited in a range from 400 nm to 500 nm.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein said marking is configured as a marking element applied on said endoscopic instrument.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
14 words
The endoscopic system of claim 25 , wherein said marking element is applied removably.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
The endoscopic system of claims 23 , wherein said at least one distal working element is equipped with a marking.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
27 words
The endoscopic system of claim 27 , wherein two working elements are present and are configured as two mouth parts that are each equipped with a marking.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein a marking is respectively provided both on said at least one working element and in a distal end section of said shaft.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
34 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein said shaft is configured as a tubular shaft, and wherein, said marking is configured as a tubular bushing that can be slid onto said tubular shaft.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein said marking is provided with a coating, made of a transparent material, that covers said fluorescing substance.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
46 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein said marking is configured as a marking element applied on said endoscopic instrument, said marking element can be inserted into a body on which an endoscopic procedure is being performed, and said marking element can be anchored there.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
44 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein said fluorescing substance is selected from the group consisting of fluorescein, eosin, the porphyrins, cadmium sulfide, aminolevulinic acid, aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride, Acridine Orange, tetracyclines, auramine, rhodamine B, rhodamine G, auramine Carbol Fuchsin, and Nile Blue sulfate.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein multiple markings with differently excitable fluorescing substances are provided.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
19 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein multiple markings containing different concentrations of said fluorescing substance are present.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
57 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein said marking is configured as a marking element that can be inserted into a body on which an endoscopic procedure is being performed, and can be anchored there, and wherein said marking element has a fluorescing substance corresponding to said of a further marking element inserted into said body.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
42 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , further containing a light-supplying apparatus and an endoscopic observation instrument that is connected to a light source, selected in such a way that said fluorescing substance can be excited to fluoresce by said light source.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
14 words
The endoscopic system of claim 37 , wherein said observation instrument is an endoscope.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
16 words
The endoscopic system of claim 38 , wherein said endoscope is equipped with an endoscopic camera.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
30 words
The endoscopic system of claim 39 , wherein there is provided downstream from said endoscopic camera an image processing system that continuously detects said fluorescing markings in an endoscopic image.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
54 words
The endoscopic system of claim 23 , wherein at least one endoscopic manipulation instrument is provided, through which an observation element can be introduced into a body, and at least one marking with a fluorescing substance corresponding to the marking of said endoscopic instrument is provided on an inner side of said manipulation instrument.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
21 words
The endoscopic system of claim 41 , wherein said manipulation instrument is a trokar and said observation element is an endoscope.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
39 words
The endoscopic system of claim 40 , wherein said light source emits pulsed light at least in a spectral excitation range of the fluorescing substance, and a pulse frequency corresponds to a video image frequency of said endoscopic camera.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
24 words
The endoscopic system of claim 42 , wherein said observation instrument has, at a distal end thereof, a transparent element having a fluorescing substance.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-03-07 | 2008-09-06 | 2009-03-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-03-07 | 2012-09-06 | 2013-03-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-03-07 | 2016-09-06 | 2017-03-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |