# US 2025/0152301 A1 · Support for the Handling of Medical Instruments

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- Number: US 2025/0152301 A1
- Document ID: US20250152301A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/944,477
- Filed: 2024-11-12
- Published: 2025-05-15
- Earliest claimed: 2023-11-13
- Assignees: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
- Applicants: KARL STORZ SE & Co KG
- Inventors: Klaus M. Irion
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250152301A1

## CPC

- A61B 90/40: Apparatus fixed or close to patients specially adapted for providing an aseptic surgical environment
- A61B 90/90: Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
- A61B 50/20: Holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments (drapes with means to hold surgical instruments A61B46/23; for catheters A61M25/02)
- A61B 50/30: Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments (for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40)
- A61B 50/33: Trays
- A61B 90/96: using barcodes
- A61L 2/07: Steam
- A61L 2/24: Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
- G06T 7/00: Image analysis
- G06V 10/143: Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
- G06V 10/764: using classification, e.g. of video objects
- G06V 20/64: Three-dimensional [3D] objects
- G06V 30/224: of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
- A61B 2050/005: {with a lid or cover}
- A61B 2050/3007: {Stackable casings}
- A61L 2103/15: Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps
- A61L 2202/14: Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
- G06V 2201/034: of medical instruments
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A system for assisting in the handling of medical instruments (10) comprises a camera (42, 52, 62) for optically capturing an image of one or more medical instruments (10) and for providing an image signal representing the captured image, an image evaluation device (70) for receiving the image signal, for identifying one or more medical instruments (10) depicted in the image represented by the image signal and for providing identification data identifying the depicted instruments (10), and a data transmission device (56, 66) for sending identification data to a data receiving device (88) of a data device (22) permanently connected to the autoclavable instrument carrier (20).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for assisting in the handling of medical instruments, comprising:
a camera for optically capturing an image of one or more medical instruments and for providing an image signal representing the captured image;
an image evaluation device for receiving the image signal, for identifying one or more medical instruments depicted in the image represented by the image signal, and for providing identification data identifying the depicted instruments;
a data transmission device for sending identification data to a data receiving device of a data device permanently connected to an autoclavable instrument carrier.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
an autoclavable instrument carrier for storing, transporting and keeping medical instruments ready;
an autoclavable data device permanently connected to the autoclavable instrument carrier having a data receiving device for receiving data and a repeatedly writable and readable memory for storing data received by the data receiving device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, further comprising:
an autoclavable power receiving device permanently connected to the autoclavable instrument carrier for receiving power in the form of light and for providing electrical power to the data device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, further comprising:
a light source for providing power in the form of light for the power receiving device permanently connected to the autoclavable instrument carrier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a projection device for visibly projecting an intended target position of a medical instrument onto a surface of the autoclavable instrument carrier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, further comprising:
a projection device for visibly projecting an intended target position of a medical instrument onto a surface of the autoclavable instrument carrier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, further comprising:
a projection device (58) for visibly projecting an intended target position of a medical instrument (10) onto a surface of the autoclavable instrument carrier (20).

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, further comprising:
a projection device for visibly projecting an intended target position of a medical instrument onto a surface of the autoclavable instrument carrier.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a database in which intended positions of medical instruments are stored on a surface of the autoclavable instrument carrier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, further comprising:
a database in which intended positions of medical instruments are stored on a surface of the autoclavable instrument carrier.

### Claim 11

A method for assisting in the handling of medical instruments, comprising the steps of:
optically capturing an image of one or more medical instruments;
generating an image signal representing the captured image;
transmitting the image signal to an image evaluation device;
evaluating the image signal with the image evaluation device in order to identify the medical instrument or instruments depicted in the image and generating identity data representing the identities of the identified medical instrument or instruments;
transmitting identity data;
storing the generated identity data in a memory permanently connected to an instrument carrier or comparing the generated identity data with identity data stored in the memory permanently connected to the instrument carrier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the step of evaluating the image signal with the image evaluation device comprises capturing the arrangement of the medical instruments depicted in the image, and
the method further comprises the step of:
storing the captured arrangement as the target arrangement of the medical instruments.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
determining a target arrangement of an identified medical instrument on an instrument carrier;
projecting the medical instrument in the target arrangement onto the instrument carrier.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
optically capturing another image of the medical instrument or instruments on the instrument carrier;
generating another image signal representing the captured additional image;
transmitting the further image signal to the image evaluation device;
evaluating the further image signal with the image evaluation device in order to determine the arrangement of the medical instrument or instruments depicted in the further image;
generating a notification signal depending on whether the specific arrangement of the medical instrument or instruments corresponds to their target arrangement.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:
optically capturing another image of the medical instrument or instruments on the instrument carrier;
generating another image signal representing the captured additional image;
transmitting the further image signal to the image evaluation device;
evaluating the further image signal with the image evaluation device in order to determine the arrangement of the medical instrument or instruments depicted in the further image;
generating a notification signal depending on whether the specific arrangement of the medical instrument or instruments corresponds to their target arrangement.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein
generating the notification signal is further dependent on whether storing the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments in the memory permanently connected to the instrument carrier was successful.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:
setting the attribute “non-sterile” to a medical instrument if the comparison of the identity data shows that the medical instrument is no longer arranged on the instrument carrier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
introducing the instrument carrier into a sterile container;
reading the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments from the memory permanently connected to the instrument carrier;
transmitting the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments to a memory permanently connected to the sterile container;
storing the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments in the memory permanently connected to the sterile container.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:
introducing the instrument carrier into a sterile container;
reading the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments from the memory permanently connected to the instrument carrier;
transmitting the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments to a memory permanently connected to the sterile container;
storing the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments in the memory permanently connected to the sterile container.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:
introducing the instrument carrier into a sterile container;
reading the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments from the memory permanently connected to the instrument carrier;
transmitting the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments to a memory permanently connected to the sterile container;
storing the identity data of the identified medical instrument or instruments in the memory permanently connected to the sterile container.

### Claim 21

(canceled)

### Claim 22

(canceled)

### Claim 23

(canceled)

### Claim 24

(canceled)

### Claim 25

(canceled)

### Claim 26

(canceled)

### Claim 27

(canceled)

### Claim 28

(canceled)