KARL STORZ SE has been granted a patent for a passive holding device for handling a trocar in a modular surgical system. The device features a fastening device with a coupling portion and a pivoting mechanism connected to the coupling portion via a rotary joint. The device also includes a trocar holder with a gripping device and an instrument brake, as well as tilting and pivoting brakes for added stability. GlobalData’s report on KARL STORZ SE gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on KARL STORZ SE, surgical robots was a key innovation area identified from patents. KARL STORZ SE's grant share as of September 2023 was 71%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Passive holding device for handling a trocar during surgery
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11771461B2) describes a passive holding device designed for handling a trocar during surgical operations. The device includes a fastening device with a coupling portion, allowing the trocar to be fastened to a connecting device via a trocar holder and to the fastening device via the connecting device.
The unique feature of this holding device is the inclusion of a pivoting mechanism connected to the coupling portion through a rotary joint. This mechanism is rotatable about a horizontal axis and consists of two L-shaped branches arranged parallel to each other. Each branch has a short leg connected to a long leg through a pivot joint. The short legs of both branches are connected to the elongated holding portion of the fastening device through terminal pivot joints. The first branch's short leg is longer than the second branch's short leg and is connected to the long leg through a rotary shaft of the second branch.
The trocar holder is pivotably attached to the distal end of the pivoting mechanism and includes a gripping device for engagement with the trocar and an instrument brake for operative coupling with the surgical instrument. The holding device also features a tilting brake at the proximal end of the coupling portion, operatively connected to the rotary joint, and a pivoting brake connected to at least one of the terminal pivot joints of the pivoting mechanism.
Additionally, the holding device may include a sensory measuring unit to determine changes in position or orientation of the surgical instrument. This can be achieved through sensors located on the rotary joint, terminal pivot joints, or the trocar holder. The sensor on the trocar holder can be a roller wheel, a magnetic sensor, or a capacitive sensor designed to interact with a magnetic or capacitive measuring tape on the surgical instrument.
The patent also describes a modular surgical system that includes the passive holding device, the trocar, and the surgical instrument. The system may have a position determination system with an output unit and at least two holding devices. One of the holding devices can be an active holding device with a control unit to automatically move another surgical instrument. The position determination system can be optical or electromagnetic.
The patent further includes a method for operating the passive holding device, where a change in position of the trocar is achieved by actuating the pivoting mechanism while holding a stationary rotary point.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
