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ILLUMINATION FILTER SYSTEM AND OBSERVATION SYSTEM FOR A MULTISPECTRAL FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPE, MULTISPECTRAL FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPE, AND MICROSCOPYING METHOD

Publication No. EP3940436

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App No. EP21184184

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Filed by Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.

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Filed on 2016-02-15

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Issued/Published on 2025-12-17

Official EPO Register

Publication No. EP3940436 A1

Application No. EP21184184 Filed: 2016-02-15

Grant Date 2025-12-17 Mention of grant

Active Oppositions 2 Active EPO Oppositions

Patent Abstract / Summary

[0001] The present invention relates to an observation system (3) for medical imaging, in particular multispectral fluorescence imaging, as performed e.g. in a microscope (1) or endoscope, in particular a multispectral fluorescence microscope, comprising a beam splitter (21) adapted to split a light image (13) into a first light portion (16, 17) along a first light path (18) and a second light portion (20) along a second light path (19). To improve known observation systems, so these systems work with one light source only, are capable of capturing simultaneously at least one fluorescence signal and a signal of visible reflected light and allow a homogeneous illumination for obtaining different images from the object illuminated, the first light portion (16, 17) comprises at least two fluorescence emission band (Em.1, Em.2), wherein the first emission band (Em.1) in the visible spectrum, and wherein the second light portion (20) comprises a visible reflected light (VISR), and the observation system (3) further comprises a first sensor (23) for capturing the at least two fluorescence emission bands (Em.1, Em.2) of the first light portion (16, 17), and a second sensor (24) for capturing the visible reflected light of the second light portion (20).

IPC Classifications

G02B5/28, A61B1/04, G01N21/64, G02B21/16

Priority Claims

No priority claims recorded

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.

12 Teban Gardens Crescent, Singapore 608924

Inventors (2)

Kuster, Manfred

9443 Widnau

Themelis, George

88131 Lindau

Representatives / Agents

Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte PartG mbB

Leopoldstraße 4, 80802 München

Diehl & Partner

Patent- und Rechtsanwaltskanzlei mbB, Erika-Mann-Straße 9

Weickert, Jonas

Thum & Partner, Thum Mötsch Weickert

Key Procedural Dates

Request-For-Examination 2022-06-01

Mention Of Grant Published 2025-12-17

First-Examination-Report-Despatched 2023-09-20

Patent Oppositions

Official opposition proceedings filed against European Patent EP3940436 under EPC Article 99.

2 ACTIVE OPPONENTS

Opponent Company

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

Göschwitzer Strasse 51-52, DE

Representative

Diehl & Partner

Filing Date

2026-09-16

Opposition in Progress

Opponent Company

Karl Storz SE & Co. KG

Dr.-Karl-Storz-Strasse 34, DE

Representative

Weickert, Jonas

Filing Date

2026-09-17

Opposition in Progress

Legal Status & Event History

Official European Patent Office legal and procedural status changes recorded for this file.

50 Events Recorded

Date	Code	Event Description	Auth
2022-01-19	AC	DIVISIONAL APPLICATION: REFERENCE TO EARLIER APPLICATION	EP
2022-01-19	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2021-12-17	PUAI	PUBLIC REFERENCE MADE UNDER ARTICLE 153(3) EPC TO A PUBLISHED INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION THAT HAS ENTERED THE EUROPEAN PHASE	EP
2021-12-17	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2022-06-03	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2022-07-06	17P	REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION FILED	EP
2022-07-06	RBV	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES (CORRECTED)	EP
2023-06-14	P01	OPT-OUT OF THE COMPETENCE OF THE UNIFIED PATENT COURT (UPC) REGISTERED	EP
2023-09-21	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2023-10-25	17Q	FIRST EXAMINATION REPORT DESPATCHED	EP
2025-07-18	GRAP	DESPATCH OF COMMUNICATION OF INTENTION TO GRANT A PATENT	EP
2025-07-18	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-08-20	INTG	INTENTION TO GRANT ANNOUNCED	EP
2025-11-11	GRAS	GRANT FEE PAID	EP
2025-11-14	GRAA	(EXPECTED) GRANT	EP
2025-11-14	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-12-17	AC	DIVISIONAL APPLICATION: REFERENCE TO EARLIER APPLICATION	EP
2025-12-17	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2025-12-17	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-12-24	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-04-10	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-04-09	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-13	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-13	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-14	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-17	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-20	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-22	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-04-28	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-30	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-05-15	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-05-18	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-06-29	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-03	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-08	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-09	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-10	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-15	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-17	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-18	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-21	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-25	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-08-06	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-09-18	PLBI	OPPOSITION FILED	EP
2026-09-23	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-09-25	PLAB	OPPOSITION DATA, OPPONENT'S DATA OR THAT OF THE OPPONENT'S REPRESENTATIVE MODIFIED	EP
2026-09-29	PLAX	NOTICE OF OPPOSITION AND REQUEST TO FILE OBSERVATION + TIME LIMIT SENT	EP
2026-09-16	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-09-30	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-10-07	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited documents and prior art referenced in search and examination reports.

29 Citations

Cited Patent Documents

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Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

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- J. SVEN D. MIEOG; SUSAN L. TROYAN; MERLIJN HUTTEMAN; KEVIN J. DONOHOE; JOOST R. VAN DER VORST; ALAN STOCKDALE; GERRIT-JAN LIEFERS;: "Toward Optimization of Imaging System and Lymphatic Tracer for Near-Infrared Fluorescent Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Breast Cancer", ANNALS OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, vol. 18, no. 9, 1 March 2011 (2011-03-01), Ne , pages 2483 - 2491, XP019945153, ISSN: 1534-4681, DOI: 10.1245/s10434-011-1566-x

- THEMELIS GEORGE ET AL: "Real-time intraoperative fluorescence imaging system using light-absorption correction.", JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS, vol. 14, no. 6, 1 November 2009 (2009-11-01), US, pages 64012 - 64012-9, XP002585670, ISSN: 1083-3668

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EP	EP3940436A1	A1	2022-01-19	Espacenet
EP	EP3940436B1	B1	2025-12-17	Espacenet
CN	CN107080594A	A	2017-08-22	Espacenet
CN	CN107080594B	B	2021-06-01	Espacenet
CN	CN113261909A	A	2021-08-17	Espacenet
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EP	EP3206061A1	A1	2017-08-16	Espacenet
JP	JP2017146598A	A	2017-08-24	Espacenet
JP	JP6429916B2	B2	2018-11-28	Espacenet
US	US2017235118A1	A1	2017-08-17	Espacenet
US	US10823947B2	B2	2020-11-03	Espacenet
US	US2021018738A1	A1	2021-01-21	Espacenet
US	US11921275B2	B2	2024-03-05	Espacenet

Official File Inspection EPC Art. 128 Public Dossier

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

The full inspection file for Application EP21184184 contains 148 total documents, including all notices of opposition, proprietor counter-statements, examination communications, third-party observations, and procedural forms. Below are all major recorded procedural filings and publication specifications.

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ILLUMINATION FILTER SYSTEM AND OBSERVATION SYSTEM FOR A MULTISPECTRAL FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPE, MULTISPECTRAL FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPE, AND MICROSCOPYING METHOD

Patent Abstract / Summary

IPC Classifications

Priority Claims

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Inventors (2)

Representatives / Agents

Key Procedural Dates

Patent Oppositions

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

Karl Storz SE & Co. KG

Legal Status & Event History

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited Patent Documents

Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

Worldwide Patent Family

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

Recorded Filings & Patent Specifications

European Patent Specification - Granted Patent (B1)

Official European Patent Register Full Dossier

European Patent Application with Search Report (A1)

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