US 12,390,091 B2
Endoscopic instrument and shaft and insert for endoscopic instrument
Janosz Schneider, Tuttlingen (DE); Daniel Kärcher, Tuttlingen (DE); Robin Merz, Tuttlingen (DE); Sven Schneider, Tuttlingen (DE); Tobias Unger, Tuttlingen (DE); Dominik Längle, Tuttlingen (DE); and Judith Holzer, Tuttlingen (DE)
Assigned to KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG, Tuttligen (DE)
Filed by KARL STORZ SE & Co KG, Tuttlingen (DE)
Filed on May 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/747,937.
Claims priority of application No. 102021112975.3 (DE), filed on May 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0369903 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/018 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/29 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/00087 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00101 (2013.01); A61B 1/018 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An endoscopic instrument having an elongate shaft and an instrument insert releasably connected to a distal end portion of the shaft, the distal end portion of the shaft being in the form of a sleeve and a proximal end region of a base of the instrument insert being in the form of a coupling shaft, or the distal end portion of the shaft being in the form of a coupling shaft and a proximal end region of a base of the instrument insert being in the form of a sleeve, with the coupling shaft being releasably held in the sleeve, wherein the sleeve and/or the coupling shaft at least in portions have a cross-sectional profile which is reversibly changeable for detaching the coupling shaft from the sleeve, the cross-sectional profile being reversibly changeable by an elastic deformation of the sleeve or coupling shaft for the purposes of detaching the coupling shaft from the sleeve;
the sleeve comprising a first holding structure and the coupling shaft comprising a second holding structure, the sleeve and/or the coupling shaft being convertible by reversible deformation from a respective work shape, in which the first holding structure is arranged with the second holding structure for holding the coupling shaft in the sleeve, to a respective assembly shape, in which the first holding structure and the second holding structure are arranged separate from one another;
the first and/or the second holding structure extending in the circumferential direction over one or more partial angular ranges of the sleeve or of the coupling shaft, and wherein the sleeve comprises at least one pressure point situated outside of the partial angular ranges, for deforming the cross-sectional profile of the sleeve, the coupling shaft having a support portion for supporting an end portion of the sleeve in the work shape, the support portion being spaced from an end of the coupling shaft, the support portion having a cross-sectional profile matched to an inner contour of the sleeve in the work shape, the coupling shaft being radially spaced from the sleeve in an area between the support portion and the first and second holding structures.