Actuator (10) comprising a base section (14,14a,14b); a permanent magnet (18,18a,18b); an electro permanent magnet (20, 20a, 20b); a coil (22, 22a, 22b) located around the electro permanent magnet (20, 20a, 20b); a power controller (24, 24a, 24b); and a movable member (28) comprising at least one magnetic target section (36), the movable member (28) being arranged to move to a first position (12) relative to the base section (14,14a,14b), when the electro permanent magnet (20, 20a, 20b) adopts a first polarity, and arranged to move to a second position (46) relative to the base section (14,14a,14b) due to a magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet (18,18a,18b) and the electro permanent magnet (20, 20a, 20b) in combination and acting on the magnetic target section (36), when the electro permanent magnet (20, 20a, 20b) adopts a second polarity. A lock device (50), a handle device (86) and a method are also provided.

A linear drive for a miniaturized optical system, as used for example in an endoscope, includes a stator and an armature. The stator has a coil with two stator pole shoes arranged in axial direction, and two magnetic field sensors arranged at the outer side of the stator pole shoes. The armature has permanent magnets which are polarized in opposite directions, and a center armature pole shoe between the two permanent magnets, and an armature pole shoe at each side of the permanent magnet, opposite to the center armature pole shoe in axial direction. The magnetic field of the outer armature pole shoe goes completely or only in part, dependent from the armature position, through the magnetic field sensor and thus generates a position-dependent signal. This signal can be used for measuring and/or controlling the position of the armature.

A method for operating an electromagnetic actuator (10) with an actuating pin (9) is proposed which comprises the following steps: —determining a pin actuation actual dead time (t11), during which the magnetic armature (15) is substantially immobile while a magnetic coil (12) is supplied with current, wherein the actual dead time ends with the current break-in at the magnetic coil, as a result of counter induction of the magnetic armature overcoming the magnetic force threshold; —determining, before a subsequent pin actuation, the starting time of the magnetic coil current supply, wherein the starting point of the current is advanced compared with that of the target movement start of the pin out of the actuator housing (13) and the determined actual dead time.

A vapor delivery needle is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the energy delivery probe is that it can apply condensable vapor energy to tissue, such as a prostrate, to shrink, damage, denaturate the prostate. In some embodiments, the vapor delivery needle can be advanced a predetermined distance into the prostate with a solenoid actuation mechanism. Methods associated with use of the energy delivery probe are also covered.

An electromagnetic actuator having a permanent magnet coupled to an armature of the electromagnetic actuator is provided. The electromagnetic actuator includes a housing, a pole piece arranged within the housing and secured by an end plate, and an armature assembly having an armature and a permanent magnet coupled to the armature. The armature is movable between a first position and a second position. The electromagnetic actuator further includes a wire coil positioned around the armature assembly and arranged within the housing. An actuation position of the armature between the first position and the second position is proportional to a magnitude of current applied to the wire coil.

A device and a method for simultaneous recording, in real time, parameters characterising the mechanical tension, elasticity, dynamical stiffness, creepability and mechanical stress of soft biological tissue are provided. By means of the myometer, a constant external pre-pressure is created, independently of the device's position, between the tissue and the testing end of the device. Next, the tissue is subjected to a short-term external dynamic influence. A mechanical change in the shape of the tissue and its mechanical response are registered as a graph of the tissue's oscillations. For calculating the parameters, a time span on the graph is used which involves an oscillation period from the beginning to the end of the effect on the tissue plus its subsequent first 1.5 self-oscillation period. This enables recording and data-processing to be carried out simultaneously as well as statistically significant estimates to be made in real time.

A bistable electromagnetic actuator device, a permanent magnet means (12; 12a, 12b), as well as an armature unit (18) with an elongate plunger unit (10) extending along a moving direction, wherein said armature unit can be moved into at least one of two end and/or stop positions that are stable in the deenergized state by means of stationary electromagnetic driving means (22), wherein stationary magnetic field detector means (34; 34a, 34b) are assigned to a housing (20), which at least sectionally encloses the armature unit, for the contactless interaction with the permanent magnet means in at least one of the end or stop positions provided for the armature position detection, wherein the plunger unit features a terminal contact and/or engagement section (28) for interacting with an actuating partner in a contacting and non-positive fashion such that a non-positive contact and/or actuation by the actuating partner causes a motion of the armature unit into one of the end or stop positions, in which the armature unit remains in a stable fashion in the deenergized state, when the electromagnetic driving means are deactivated, and wherein the magnetic field detector means are arranged and wired for generating and outputting a detector signal corresponding to this end or stop position.

A plunger includes an elongate plunger body which is at least in part cylindrical and a plunger head at one end of the plunger body. The plunger body has a magnet-interface body portion which has a non-cylindrical cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the plunger body. A magnetic latching solenoid actuator using such a plunger is also provided, as is a method of improving the performance of a magnetic latching solenoid actuator.

The invention relates to an electromagnetic actuator and a valve having such an actuator. The actuator has a first magnetic coil and a second magnetic coil, as well as at least one permanent magnet and an anchor that can be moved axially by the magnetic coils and the permanent magnet between a first and a second position, on which at least one spring device acts in the axial direction. The first and second magnetic coils as well as the first permanent magnet are disposed axially behind one another thereby, such that the first permanent magnet is disposed coaxially between the first and second magnetic coils.

To obtain an electromagnetic actuator capable of improving a thrust force of a movable element. Provided is an electromagnetic actuator, including: a stator, which has a first surface at one end in an axial direction and a second surface at another end in the axial direction, and is made of a soft magnetic material having a tubular space formed in the axial direction; and a movable element, which is disposed in the tubular space, and is configured to move along the axial direction, wherein the stator includes: a coil; a core portion; and a protrusion portion, wherein the movable element includes a movable element core made of a soft magnetic material and a permanent magnet, and wherein at least one of a radially inner side and a radially outer side of the permanent magnet is covered by a movable element core.