Patents by Inventor Lutz Claes

Lutz Claes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6773459
    Abstract: A medical, bioresorbable implant, particularly for cruciate ligament augmentation, is constructed as a composite structure in textile construction from at least two biocompatible polymer materials, which differ in their chemical composition and/or polymer structure and which are degradable, the implant having a predetermined initial tensile stiffness and a different degradation behaviour of the polymers and/or the textile construction is selected in such a way that the tensile stiffness decreases during degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignees: Deutsche Institute fuer Textil-und Faserforschung Stuttgart Stiftung des oeffentlichen Rechts
    Inventors: Martin Dauner, Helmut Hierlemann, Heinrich Planck, Lutz Claes, Lutz Duerselen, Anita Ignatius
  • Patent number: 6755835
    Abstract: In order to produce a bone screw having a screw body which is provided with an external thread and which comprises a flow-through mechanism for bone cement that is used for the production of a cement jacket around the bone screw, such that the bone screw will be anchored in a highly stable manner after being implanted in a bone and especially after being implanted in a bone of reduced quality, it is proposed that the flow-through mechanism should comprise at least one longitudinal recess which is formed in the screw body such that it extends transversely relative to the radial direction and/or transversely relative to the peripheral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Aesculap AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Markus Schultheiss, Lutz Claes, Lothar Kinzl
  • Patent number: 6500177
    Abstract: A telescopic body for an external bone fixation device includes a central core body and cylindrical outer parts having a bore extending therethrough, all disposed about a center axis. The outer surface of the core body is in the form of a keyed shaft, and the bore in the outer parts has keyways that mate with the shaft, thereby permitting the outer parts to be telescoped in a rotationally fixed, torsion-resistant fashion. Threaded drive spindles housed in the outer parts can be screwed into and out of the core body at either end, permitting the overall length of the telescopic body to be changed. Terminal elements are provided in the ends of the outer parts to limit travel of the drive spindles. At least one of the terminal elements may be a dynamic progression cap which, when progressively unscrewed, allows the axial clamping tension of the threaded spindle to be released in millimeter increments to permit relaxation of the axial clamping of the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Synthes (USA)
    Inventors: Orlando Martinelli, Beat Inauen, Erwin Flühler, Lutz Claes, Heinz Gerngross, Götz Rübsaamen
  • Publication number: 20020123752
    Abstract: In order to produce a bone screw having a screw body which is provided with an external thread and which comprises flow-through means for bone cement that is used for the production of a cement jacket around the bone screw, such that the bone screw will be anchored in a highly stable manner after being implanted in a bone and especially after being implanted in a bone of reduced quality, it is proposed that the flow-through means should comprise at least one longitudinal recess which is formed in the screw body such that it extends transversely relative to the radial direction and transversely relative to the peripheral direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Applicant: AESCULAP AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Markus Schultheiss, Lutz Claes, Lothar Kinzl
  • Patent number: 6428540
    Abstract: A device for repositioning fractured bone fragments has a rod and a clamping device secured to each end of the rod and bone fasteners for anchoring in the fractured bone fragments to be fixed. The rod has three translation mechanisms and three rotation mechanisms for altering the relative position of the two clamping devices so that the device has in total 6 degrees of freedom along the axes Tx, Ty, Tz, Rx, Ry, and Rz,.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Synthes (U.S.A.)
    Inventors: Lutz Claes, Heinz Gerngross, Götz Rübsaamen, Orlando Martinelli, Erwin Flühler
  • Patent number: 6409729
    Abstract: An external bone fixation system for clamping bone pins and a connecting element is provided. The system includes a jaw and an upper element for retaining bone pins therebetween, a middle element, and a lower element, with the elements being disposed about a common axis. The upper element swivels relative to the middle element, and the lower element rotates relative to the middle element. A borehole extending through the lower element permits demountable attachment of the device to the connecting element, as well as rotation thereabout. Opposing surfaces of at least two of the elements are positively engageable. The upper, middle, and lower elements are coupled by a common fastener disposed along the common axis, while the jaw and upper element are coupled by at least one fastener that is not disposed on the common axis. A single fastener can be used to arrest two or three degrees of freedom of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Synthes (USA)
    Inventors: Orlando Martinelli, Beat Inauen, Erwin Flühler, Lutz Claes, Heinz Gerngross, Götz Rübsaamen
  • Publication number: 20020062152
    Abstract: A medical, bioresorbable implant, particularly for crucial ligament augmentation, is constructed as a composite structure in textile construction from at least two biocompatible polymer materials, which differ in their chemical composition and/or polymer structure and which are degradable, the implant having a predetermined initial tensile stiffness and a different degradation behaviour of the polymers and/or the textile construction is selected in such a way that the tensile stiffness decreases during degradation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Publication date: May 23, 2002
    Inventors: Martin Dauner, Helmut Hierlemann, Heinrich Planck, Lutz Claes, Lutz Duerselen, Anita Ignatius
  • Patent number: 5456723
    Abstract: The prevailing opinion, supported by observations, has been in the art, that any implant of titanium or of another similar material is to have a contact surface roughness of more than 20 .mu.m to yield a good bond between bone and implant. The present invention is based upon the recognition, that the bond between bone and implant may be substantially improved by providing the contact surface of the implant with a micro-roughness of 2 .mu.m or less. According to the method of the invention such micro-roughness can be readily produced by subjecting the contact surface to pickling in a reducing acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Institut Straumann AG
    Inventors: Samuel G. Steinemann, Lutz Claes
  • Patent number: 4714076
    Abstract: Bone-setting device comprises two elongated holders which are joined by an elongated connecting link. Pins which can be screwed into bone elements are held in each holder in such a manner that they can be rotated around their axis, moved along that axis, and clamped. At least one holder comprises spherical guiding bodies, each of which holds a pin in such a manner that the pin can be pivoted in space. The connecting link comprises a sleeve and a stud which is held in the sleeve in such a manner that it can be shifted in the axial direction and pivoted, and which, in order to generate a force which presses the bone elements against each other, can, by means of a tensioning screw inserted in it, be pulled against one end of sleeve and clamped in various pivoting and sliding positions by means of a clamping screw. The device offers many adjusting possibilities for setting the bone elements but is, nevertheless, very rigid in the clamped state and also relatively small and easy to handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignee: Synthes
    Inventors: Pierre-Andre Comte, Caius Burri, Lutz Claes, Heinz Gerngross, Remy Meier