Patent · US Active

Autoclavable tactile keypad for video endoscopes

US11550402B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

1References

16Claims

0Family size

Assignee

KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

Pascal Heni · Fridingen an der Donau, DE
Daniel Ulmschneider · Tuttlingen, DE
Markus Kupferschmid · Emmingen-Liptingen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 26, 2041

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH01H13/48
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A keypad includes a support, a snap disk on a first side of the support transformable from a released state to a loaded state, a cover forming a seal over the first side, a pocket in the cover, a magnet and a plunger disposed in the pocket, the plunger adapted to engage and transform the snap disk to the loaded state, a magnetic field sensor on a second side of the support, the second side opposite the first side and logic circuitry adapted to obtain a value of a strength of a magnetic field from the sensor, compare the value against a predetermined threshold value that corresponds at least approximately to the strength of a magnetic field, and when the plunger has transformed the snap disk to the loaded state and the value reaches or exceeds the threshold value, output a signal indicating that a key press occurred.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.