Surgical system

Abstract

Surgical system (10) with a video endoscope (12), in particular a video laparoscope, having a hermetically sealed housing (13), wherein the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12) has a distal end and a proximal end and one or more energizable or energized units are provided inside the housing (13), wherein the surgical system (10) has an external control unit (30) for the one or more energizable or energized units, wherein a supply cable (20) is provided for connecting the external control unit (30) to the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), wherein the supply cable (20) is connected to the control unit (30) and the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), characterized in that inside the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12) a voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60) is provided for, in particular, simultaneous,Providing multiple voltages with different voltage values ​​for the energized or energized units in the housing (13) is provided.

Description

The invention relates to a surgical system having a video endoscope, in particular a video laparoscope, having a hermetically sealed housing, wherein the housing of the video endoscope has a distal end and a proximal end and one or more energizable or energizable units are provided in the interior of the housing, wherein the surgical system has an external control device for the one or more energizable or energizable units, wherein a supply cable is provided for connecting the external control device to the housing of the video endoscope, wherein the supply cable is connected to the control device and to the housing of the video endoscope.For example, WO 98 / 46120 A2 describes such a surgical system.Endoscopes, in particular video endoscopes, are known in the prior art, which are used, for example, for the treatment of humans. Video endoscopes have an elongated, tubular endoscope shaft, at the distal end of which a distally emitting illumination device and an image sensor or an image sensor unit for recording images from the vicinity of the distal end are provided.In order to operate the image sensor unit and optionally further sensors, such as temperature sensors or changeover switches or the like in the endoscope, it is necessary to supply these units provided in the endoscope shaft with current. For this purpose, the energizable or energized units provided in the endoscope shaft are supplied with current via corresponding power lines. The power lines in the interior of the endoscope shaft are connected to external power cables, preferably in a handle region of the video endoscope. The power cables themselves are furthermore connected to a corresponding external control unit for the video endoscope, wherein the control unit has corresponding voltage supplies for the respective units to be operated in the endoscope shaft and in the housing of the endoscope.Moreover, image data of captured images is transmitted from the image sensor unit to the external control unit via data lines provided in the endoscope by means of external data transmission lines connected to the internal data lines.Furthermore, a light guide for guiding light to the distal tip of the endoscope in the endoscope shaft is also provided in the endoscope shaft of the video endoscope. In order to couple light into the light guides in the endoscope shaft, external light guide cables are provided, which are coupled to the internal light guide.In order to supply the units provided in the endoscope shaft, an external supply cable is provided in this case, in which the power lines and the external data transmission lines and the external light guide cables are combined.DE 11 2017 004 902 T5 further discloses an endoscope system having a wireless endoscope and a processor comprising a radio communication unit.Furthermore, DE 199 24 361 A1 discloses an endoscope having a tubular shaft, in the distal region of which a camera and a distally emitting illumination device are arranged.It is an object of the invention to simplify the construction of a surgical system having a video endoscope, a supply cable for the video endoscope and a control device for the video endoscope.According to a first aspect, this object is achieved by a surgical system having a video endoscope, in particular a video laparoscope, which has a hermetically sealed housing, wherein the housing of the video endoscope has a distal end and a proximal end and one or more energizable or energizable units are provided in the interior of the housing, wherein the surgical system has an external control device for the one or more energizable or energizable units, wherein a supply cable is provided for connecting the external control device to the housing of the video endoscope, wherein the supply cable is connected to the control device and to the housing of the video endoscope, which is further developed in that a voltage converter unit for, in particular simultaneously, converting the voltage into the interior of the housing of the video endoscope, providing a plurality of voltages having different voltage values for the energizable or energizable units in the housing.The invention is based on the idea that electrical devices or units, such as image sensors, electric servo motors or further sensors, etc., are provided in the interior of the endoscope shaft or of the housing of the video endoscope, which are operated electrically. For this purpose, the units to be energized require different voltages in the housing of the video endoscope. In order to provide the different voltages for the units to be energized in the endoscope, according to the invention, a voltage converter unit is provided in the interior of the video endoscope or in the interior of the housing, by means of which voltage converter unit a plurality of different voltages or voltages with different voltage values are provided for the units to be energized in each case.According to the invention, the construction of the surgical system is simplified because in the external supply cable between the control device and the video endoscope preferably or exclusively only one power line is provided for the voltage converter unit of the video endoscope. By means of the voltage converter unit in the video endoscope, the voltage provided via the one power line of the external supply cable is converted and provided into a plurality of different voltages for the units of the video endoscope to be powered, wherein the values of the voltages provided by the voltage converter unit are different for the units to be powered in the video endoscope. In addition, the voltage converter unit is integrated into the video endoscope, wherein the voltage converter unit is preferably arranged in the handle of the video endoscope.For this purpose, in a development of the surgical system, it is provided that the voltage converter unit is connected to a, preferably exclusively, power line of the supply cable and / or that the control device is configured to provide a voltage, in particular exclusively a voltage, to the voltage converter unit via the power line of the supply cable. In particular, a power line is understood to mean a line having a positive voltage supply line and a negative voltage supply line or ground line.According to a further aspect, an embodiment of the surgical system is characterized in that the voltage converter unit is connected to two power lines of the supply cable, such that two circuits are formed, wherein the voltage converter unit is formed as a common impedance for the two circuits, such that currents of the two power lines flow via the common impedance, and / or in that the control device is configured to provide a voltage in each case via a power line for the voltage converter unit, wherein in particular the provided voltages differ in the voltage values.A galvanic coupling of the two current lines of the supply cable to the voltage converter unit of the video endoscope, which is designed as a coupling impedance or impedance, is achieved by means of a galvanic coupling of the two circuits.In a further aspect, in a development of the surgical system, it is provided that an, in particular replaceable, light guide line in the supply cable with the two power lines is designed as a combination line in the supply cable, wherein in particular the power lines are arranged on the light guide line, preferably directly, and / or wherein in particular the at least one power line or the two power lines are arranged around the light guide line in a helical or helical manner in the longitudinal extent of the light guide line. Because the power lines surround the light guide line, a compact arrangement of the power line and the light guide line is achieved, wherein at the same time a type of protection for the light guide line is formed in the case of a helical or helical configuration of the power lines. In particular, the power lines are designed here, for example, as a braid or a spiral or helix.In a further embodiment of the surgical system, it is provided that the voltage converter unit is connected to a power line, preferably exclusively a power line, of the supply cable by means of a non-galvanic coupling.For this purpose, according to one embodiment, it is provided that the non-galvanic coupling is designed as an inductive coupling or magnetic resonance coupling and / or that the non-galvanic coupling has a coupling element provided in the supply cable, preferably at a proximal end of the supply cable, and a coupling element provided in the housing of the video endoscope and interacting with the coupling element of the supply cable, which is connected to the voltage converter unit, and / or that the coupling element of the supply cable is arranged on the, preferably separate, power line of the supply cable or coupling element of the supply cable on the light guide line of the supply cable.According to the invention, in this exemplary embodiment, electrical energy is introduced into the housing for the voltage converter unit in an inductive manner or by magnetic resonance, wherein the voltage converter unit provided in the video endoscope is operated by means of the injected electrical energy or voltage, whereby a plurality of voltages with different voltage values are provided for the units to be energized in the video endoscope by means of the voltage converter unit.In the case of non-galvanic coupling, it is provided in particular that the supply cable and the video endoscope is or are connected to the supply cable or to the end of the supply cable by means of a mechanical or magnetic fastening.According to a preferred aspect of the invention, it is provided that the voltage converter unit is designed as a DC-DC voltage converter (DC-DC voltage converter).According to a further aspect, it is preferably provided in the surgical system that the voltage converter unit is designed as an energy harvesting device (energy harvesting device), wherein in particular the energy harvesting device (energy harvesting device) is configured to generate a plurality of voltages with different voltage values by means of the thermoelectric effect, whereby different voltages are provided for the units to be energized in the video endoscope.Furthermore, in one embodiment of the surgical system, it is preferred that the supply cable is couplable or coupled, in particular releasably, to the control unit by means of a first connection unit, in particular by means of a preferably electronic plug-in connection, and / or the supply cable is couplable or coupled, in particular permanently or releasably, to the housing of the video endoscope by means of a second connection unit, and / or that the supply cable has a light guide line, wherein in particular the light guide line is couplable or coupled to the control unit and the housing of the video endoscope and / or that the video endoscope has a handle, wherein the handle of the video endoscope has a coupling part for one end of the supply cable, wherein in particular the coupling part of the handle interacts with a, in particular a second, connection unit of the supply cable.Furthermore, it is preferred in the surgical system that the supply cable has at least one data line, in particular video data line, or a plurality of data lines, in particular a plurality of video data lines. By means of the data lines, for example, image data or further data from units, for example an image sensor unit, are forwarded or transmitted from the video endoscope to the control device. The data lines are in particular designed as data transmission lines.According to a further solution of the object or a development taken independently of one another, it is provided in the surgical system that a transmitting / receiving unit for transmitting and / or receiving data is provided in the interior of the housing of the video endoscope, wherein the transmitting / receiving unit is connected to at least one energized or energizable unit by means of one or more data transmission lines in each case, so that data is transmitted between the at least one or more energized or energizable units and the transmitting / receiving unit,wherein the transmitting / receiving unit of the video endoscope has a transmitting / receiving module for wirelessly transmitting and / or receiving data,wherein the supply cable or the control device has a transmitting / receiving unit with a transmitting / receiving module for wirelessly transmitting and / or receiving data,wherein the transmitting / receiving unit of the supply cable or the transmitting / receiving unit of the control device cooperate with the transmitting / receiving unit of the video endoscope, so that data is wirelessly transmitted between the transmitting / receiving unit of the supply cable or the transmitting / receiving unit of the control device and the transmitting / receiving unit of the video endoscope.In this case, according to the invention, for example, video data or control data are transmitted between the transmitting / receiving modules of the respective cooperating transmitting / receiving units. According to the invention, a transmitting / receiving unit is preferably integrated in the video endoscope, so that, for example, the images captured by an image sensor unit are transmitted wirelessly by means of the transmitting / receiving units and are then transmitted to a camera control unit.In an embodiment of the surgical system, it is provided that the supply cable is designed to be data line-free. In particular, the supply cable preferably has exclusively one or more power lines and an optical waveguide line. Due to the wireless transmission of data between the transmitting / receiving units, a data line or data transmission line in the supply cable between the video endoscope and the external control device for transmitting data, such as image data, can be dispensed with.Furthermore, a further solution of the object taken independently or a development of the surgical system is distinguished in that a multiplex / demultiplex unit for sending and / or receiving data is provided in the interior of the housing of the video endoscope, wherein the multiplex / demultiplex unit is connected to at least one energized or energizable unit by means of a plurality of data transmission lines in each case, such that data is transmitted between the at least one or more energized or energizable units and the multiplex / demultiplex unit of the video endoscope,wherein the supply cable or the control device comprise a multiplex / demultiplex unit for transmitting and / or receiving data,wherein the multiplex / demultiplex unit of the supply cable or the multiplex / demultiplex unit of the control unit is connected to the multiplex / demultiplex unit of the video endoscope by means of a, in particular exclusively, signal data connection line or by means of a plurality of signal data connection lines, such that data are transmitted between the multiplex / demultiplex unit of the supply cable or the multiplex / demultiplex unit of the control unit and that with the multiplex / demultiplex unit of the video endoscope, preferably unidirectionally and / or bidirectionally.The invention is based here on the idea that, using interacting multiplex / demultiplex units, data are transmitted or transmitted between the units provided in the housing of the video endoscope, which generate corresponding signals and / or data to be transmitted, and the external control device. In this case, the multiplex method is provided for transmitting at least two separate information channels via a single signal data connection line, wherein the signal data connection line is operated in an asymmetrical signal transmission mode or in a differential signal transmission mode.In particular, according to one embodiment, a plurality of signal data connection lines, in particular two signal data connection lines, are provided, thus redundancy of the transmitted data is achieved using the multiplex method.In one embodiment, it is furthermore advantageously provided that the supply cable has a pair of signal data connection lines, wherein the pair of signal data connection lines is designed as a differential signal pair or is configured in such a way as to transmit data or signal data of a powered or energizable unit of the video endoscope to the control device.Furthermore, in a development of the surgical system, it is provided that at least one power line of the supply cable for the units of the video endoscope that are energized or energizable is designed as a signal data connection line.Advantageously, in a development of the surgical system, it is provided that the supply cable is designed to be data line-free. If, for example, a power line is used as a data connection line, it is possible that the supply cable is not formed as a data connection line which is used exclusively for the transmission of data.Furthermore, according to an advantageous aspect, it is provided that the supply cable has one or more power lines and / or a light guide line, wherein in particular the one power line or the power lines and / or the light guide line can be or are coupled to the control device and to the housing of the video endoscope.Within the scope of the invention, it is provided that embodiments of the surgical system can have the solutions taken independently by themselves or a combination of the features described above.Further features of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the claims and the accompanying drawings. Embodiments according to the invention may fulfil individual features or a combination of several features.Within the scope of the invention, features which are marked "in particular" or "preferably" are to be understood as optional features.The invention is described below without limiting the general concept of the invention on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein reference is expressly made to the drawings with respect to all details according to the invention which are not explained in more detail in the text. The following are shown: FIG. 1 schematically shows a structure of a surgical system with an endoscope, a supply cable and a control device for the endoscope; FIG. 2 schematically shows an embodiment of the surgical system according to the prior art; FIGS. 3 ato 3 feach show a structure of the surgical system according to various embodiments; FIGS. 4 ato 4 dschematically each show the structure of a surgical system according to further embodiments of the invention.In the drawings, identical or similar elements and / or parts are each provided with the same reference numerals, so that renewed presentation is omitted in each case.FIG. 1 schematically shows a structure of a surgical system 10 comprising a video endoscope 12 and a supply cable 20 connected to the video endoscope 12. The video endoscope 12 has a hermetically sealed housing 13 with an elongate endoscope shaft 14 which has an image sensor 16 at its distal end. In addition, the video endoscope 12 has further electrically operated units (not shown here), such as sensors, servomotors, etc., in the interior of the housing 13 or the endoscope shaft 14.At its proximal end, the video endoscope 12 has a handle 18 which is connected, preferably fixedly, to one end of the supply cable 20. In addition, the supply cable 20 has, at its end facing away from the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12, a plug 28, which is or is inserted into a plug-in receptacle of a control unit 30 for the video endoscope 12. The video endoscope 12 is preferably designed as a video laparoscope.FIG. 2 shows the surgical system 10 according to the prior art in a schematic illustration. In the interior of the supply cable 20 there are a plurality of power lines 22.1, 22.2, 22.3 which are connected to corresponding lines in the plug 28. By means of the power lines 22.1 to 22.3 of the supply cable 20, a plurality of different voltages are provided for the electrical units in the video endoscope 12, wherein the voltages have different voltage values.Furthermore, a plurality of data transmission lines 24.1, 24.2, 24.3, 24.4, 24.5 are also present in the supply cable 20 in order to transmit corresponding data between the data-supplying units in the video endoscope 12, such as an image sensor, for example, and the control unit 30. For example, the data transmission lines 24.1 to 24.5 are configured as coaxial cables or the like.Furthermore, an optical cable 26 is provided in the supply cable 20, which preferably has a plurality of optical fibers in the bundle. As a result, light is coupled, for example, from the control unit 30 into a light guide in the interior of the video endoscope 12 in order to guide the light to the distal tip of the video endoscope 12.In the exemplary embodiments FIGS. 3 ato 3 f, embodiments of the surgical system 10 according to the invention are shown in each case. In the various embodiments, a voltage converter unit for providing a plurality of voltages with different voltage values for the energizable or energizable units in the hermetically sealed housing 13 of the video endoscope 12 is provided in the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12.In the embodiments according to FIGS. 3 ato 3 e, a DC-DC voltage converter (DC-DC voltage converter) 42 is provided in each case as a voltage converter unit in the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3 e, the voltage converter unit is designed as a thermoelectric generator 44. For the embodiment in FIG. 3 f, the voltage converter unit is formed as a photoelectric cell 60.FIG. 3 ashows an exemplary embodiment in which the supply cable 20 has only one power line 52, as a result of which a voltage is applied to the DC-DC voltage converter 42 (DC-DC voltage converter) connected to the power line 52 in the housing 13 of the video endoscope 12. By means of the DC-DC voltage converter 42, a plurality of voltages with different voltage values are simultaneously provided for all units to be energized in the video endoscope 12.In FIGS. 3 band 3 c, the two conductor lines 52.1, 52.2 of a power line 52 are arranged around the light guide 26, wherein the conductor lines 52.1, 52.2 extend along the longitudinal extension of the light guide 26. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3c, the cores 52.1, 52.2 are wound around the light guide 26 helically in the manner of a braid or the like.FIG. 3 d shows an exemplary embodiment in which, by means of a non-galvanic coupling, for example by means of an inductive coupling between the power cable 52 in the region of the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12, electrical energy is coupled in by means of a coupling element 56, which interacts with a coupling element 58 in the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12. This also provides a voltage for the DC-DC voltage converter 42 in the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12, as a result of which different voltages are provided for the units of the video endoscope 12 to be powered by means of the voltage converter 42 in the video endoscope 12.According to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3 e, a thermoelectric generator 44 is provided as the voltage converter unit, which is supplied with voltage by means of the power line 52. Due to a temperature gradient in the thermoelectric generator 44, which is also referred to as an energy harvesting device (energy harvesting device), different voltages are provided with different voltage values for the units of the video endoscope 12 to be energized.The exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3 f shows a photoelectric cell 60 as a voltage converter unit in the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12, wherein light is coupled into an optical waveguide 46 in the interior of the handle 18 via the optical waveguide cable 26 of the supply cable 20 and the coupled-in light is coupled into the photoelectric cell 60 from the optical waveguide 46, wherein a plurality of different voltages are provided for the units to be energized in the endoscope by means of the photoelectric cell 60.Further embodiments of the surgical system 10 are shown in Figures 4a to 4d.In FIG. 4 a, a transmitting / receiving unit 62 with a radio antenna or the like is formed in the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12, wherein the transmitting / receiving unit 62 is connected via corresponding data lines to one or more units, such as an image sensor, in the interior of the housing 13. Corresponding image data are transmitted from the unit, e.g. the image sensor, to the transmitting / receiving unit 62 of the videoendscope 12.In addition, a further transmitting / receiving unit 64, for example with an antenna, is formed in the plug 28 of the supply cable 20, which receives data from the transmitting / receiving unit 62 of the handle 18 or of the video endoscope 12 in a wireless manner. Due to the use of two cooperating and spatially separated transmitting / receiving units 62, 64 in the video endoscope 12 and in the supply cable 20, the use of data transmission lines in the supply cable 20 can be omitted. This simplifies the construction of the supply cable 20.In the exemplary embodiments in FIGS. 4 bto 4 d, a multiplexer / demultiplexer 72 is provided in the handle 18 of the video endoscope 12 in each case for the data transmission from the video endoscope 12, said multiplexer / demultiplexer interacting with a multiplexer / demultiplexer 72 in the plug 22 of the supply cable 20. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4 b, only one data transmission line 76 is provided between the multiplexer / demultiplexer 72 of the video endoscope 12 and the multiplexer / demultiplexer 74 in the supply cable 20 or in the plug 22, as a result of which the two multiplexer / demultiplexers 72, 74 are connected to one another. Due to the multiplex method, the corresponding data are guided, for example, from an image sensor from the interior of the housing 13 of the video endoscope 12 to an external control unit 30 (cf. FIG. 1 ).In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4c, a power line 22.1 is used as the data transmission line between the multiplexer / demultiplexer 74 in the handle 18 and the multiplexer / demultiplexer 74 in the plug 22 as the data transmission line. Here, too, the structure of the supply cable 20 is reduced, since a data transmission line in the conventional sense is dispensed with. Rather, in this embodiment, a power line 22.1 is simultaneously used to provide electrical energy to the units to be powered in the video endoscope 12 and simultaneously to transfer data between the multiplexer / demultiplexer 72 in the video endoscope 12 and the multiplexer / demultiplexer 74 of the supply cable 20.In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4 d, a second data transmission line 78 is provided between the two multiplexers / demultiplexers 72, 74 of the video endscope 12 and the supply cable 20 in comparison with the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4 b, whereby a redundancy is achieved.All features mentioned, including those taken alone from the drawings and also individual features which are disclosed in combination with other features, are considered to be essential to the invention alone and in combination. Embodiments according to the invention may be fulfilled by individual features or a combination of a plurality of features.List of reference characters10 Surgical system 12 Video endoscope 13 Housing 14 Endoscope shaft 16 Image sensor 18 Handle 20 Supply cable 22 Plug 22.1, 22.2, 22.3 Power line 24.1,..., 24.4, 24.5 Data transmission line 26 Light guide 28 Plug 30 Control device 42 DC-DC voltage converter 44 Thermoelectric generator 46 Light guide 52 Power line 52.1, 52.2 Wire line 56 Coupling element 58 Coupling element 60 Photoelectric cell 62 Transmission / reception unit 64 Transmission / reception unit 72 Multiplexer / demultiplexer 74 Multiplexer / demultiplexer 76 Data transmission line 78 Data transmission line

Claims

Surgical system (10) having a video endoscope (12), in particular a video laparoscope, having a hermetically sealed housing (13), wherein the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12) has a distal end and a proximal end and one or more energizable or energizable units are provided in the interior of the housing (13), wherein the surgical system (10) has an external control device (30) for the one or more energizable or energizable units, wherein a supply cable (20) is provided for connecting the external control device (30) to the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), wherein the supply cable (20) is connected to the control device (30) and to the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), characterized in that a voltage converter unit (42, 44, 44, is provided in the interior of the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), 60) for, in particular simultaneously, providing a plurality of voltages having different voltage values for the energizable or energizable units in the housing (13).Surgical system (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60) is connected to a, preferably exclusively, power line (52) of the supply cable (20) and / or in that the control device (30) is configured to provide a, in particular exclusively, voltage via the power line (52) of the supply cable (20) to the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60).Surgical system (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60) is connected to two power lines of the supply cable (20), so that two power circuits are formed, wherein the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60) is formed as a common impedance for the two power circuits, so that currents of the two power lines flow via the common impedance, and / or in that the control device (30) is configured to provide a voltage via a power line in each case for the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60), wherein in particular the provided voltages differ in the voltage values.Surgical system (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that an, in particular replaceable, light guide line (26) in the supply cable (20) with the two power lines is designed as a combination line in the supply cable (20), wherein in particular the power lines are arranged on the light guide line (26), preferably directly, and / or wherein in particular the at least one power line or the two power lines are arranged around the light guide line (26) in a helical or helical manner in the longitudinal extension of the light guide line (26).Surgical system (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60) is connected to a, preferably exclusively a, power line (52) of the supply cable (20) by means of a non-galvanic coupling.Surgical system (10) according to claim 5, characterised in that the non-galvanic coupling is designed as inductive coupling or magnetic resonance coupling and / or that the non-galvanic coupling has a coupling element (56) provided in the supply cable (20), preferably at a proximal end of the supply cable (20), and a coupling element (58) provided in the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12) and interacting with the coupling element (56) of the supply cable (20), which is connected to the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60), and / or that the coupling element (56) of the supply cable (20) is arranged on the, preferably separate, power line of the supply cable (20) or the coupling element (56) of the supply cable (20) is arranged on the light guide line (26) of the supply cable (20).Surgical system (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60) is designed as a DC-DC voltage converter (42).Surgical system (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the voltage converter unit (42, 44, 60) is designed as an energy harvesting device (energy harvesting device) (44), wherein in particular the energy harvesting device (energy harvesting device) (44) is configured to generate a plurality of voltages having different voltage values by means of the thermoelectric effect.Surgical system (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the supply cable (20) can be coupled or is coupled, in particular in a releasable manner, to the control unit (30) by means of a first connection unit, in particular by means of a preferably electronic plug-in connection (28), and / or the supply cable (20) can be coupled or is coupled, in particular in a permanently or releasable manner, to the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12) by means of a second connection unit, and / or in that the supply cable (20) has a light guide line (26), wherein in particular the light guide line (26) can be coupled or is coupled to the control unit (30) and the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), and / or in that the video endoscope (12) has a handle (18), wherein the handle (18) of the video endoscope (12) has a coupling part for one end of the supply cable (20), wherein in particular the coupling part of the handle (18) interacts with a, in particular a second, connection unit of the supply cable (20).Surgical system (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the supply cable (20) has at least one data line, in particular video data line, or a plurality of data lines, in particular a plurality of video data lines.Surgical system (10) according to the preamble of claim 1 or according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that a transmitting / receiving unit (62) for transmitting and / or receiving data is provided in the interior of the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), wherein the transmitting / receiving unit (62) is connected to at least one energized or energizable unit by means of one or more data transmission lines in each case, such that data is transmitted between the at least one or more energized or energizable units and the transmitting / receiving unit (62), wherein the transmitting / receiving unit (62) of the video endoscope (12) has a transmitting / receiving module for wirelessly transmitting and / or receiving data, wherein the supply cable (20) or the control device (30) has a transmitting / receiving unit (64) with a transmitting / receiving module for wirelessly transmitting and / or receiving data, wherein the transmitting / receiving unit (64) of the supply cable (20) or the transmitting / receiving unit (64) of the control device (30) interacts with the transmitting / receiving unit (62) of the video endoscope (12), such that data is wirelessly transmitted between the transmitting / receiving unit (64) of the supply cable (20) or the transmitting / receiving unit (64) of the control device (30) and the transmitting / receiving unit (62) of the video endoscope (12).Surgical system (10) according to claim 11, characterised in that the supply cable (20) is formed without data lines.Surgical system (10) according to the preamble of claim 1 or according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that a multiplex / demultiplex unit (72) for sending and / or receiving data is provided inside the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12), wherein the multiplex / demultiplex unit (72) is connected to at least one powered or energizable unit by means of a plurality of data transmission lines in each case, such that data is transmitted between the at least one or more powered or energizable units and the multiplex / demultiplex unit (72) of the video endoscope (12), wherein the supply cable (20) or the control device (30) has a multiplex / demultiplex unit (74) for sending and / or receiving data, wherein the multiplexing / demultiplexing unit (74) of the supply cable (20) or the multiplexing / demultiplexing unit (74) of the control unit (30) is connected to the multiplexing / demultiplexing unit (72) of the video endoscope (12) by means of a, in particular exclusively, signal data connection line or by means of a plurality of signal data connection lines, such that data is transmitted between the multiplexing / demultiplexing unit (74) of the supply cable (20) or the multiplexing / demultiplexing unit (74) of the control unit (30) and that with the multiplexing / demultiplexing unit (72) of the video endoscope (12), preferably unidirectionally and / or bidirectionally.Surgical system (10) according to claim 13, characterised in that the supply cable (20) has a pair of signal data connection lines, wherein the pair of signal data connection lines is designed as a differential signal pair or is configured in such a way as to transmit data of a powered or energizable unit of the video endoscope (12) to the control device (30).Surgical system (10) according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that at least one power line of the supply cable (20) for the units of the video endoscope (12) which are supplied with current or can be supplied with current is designed as a signal data connection line.Surgical system (10) according to claim 15, characterised in that the supply cable (30) is formed without data lines.Surgical system (10) according to one of Claims 11 to 16, characterized in that the supply cable (20) has one or more power lines and / or a light guide line, wherein in particular the one power line or the power lines and / or the light guide line can be or are coupled to the control unit (30) and the housing (13) of the video endoscope (12).

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