Patents Assigned to Materialise, N.V.
  • Patent number: 11847388
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically reducing rigid body motion in a digital simulated model of an object, where the simulated model represents a simulated build of the object using additive manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: MATERIALISE N.V.
    Inventor: Yogesh Sovani
  • Patent number: 11523853
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to fixation devices. Certain embodiments provide a fixation device for insertion into bone. The fixation device includes a body comprising threads along an outer surface of the body. The fixation device includes one or more blades movably coupled to the body. The one or more blades are configured to move between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, the one or more blades are retracted into the body. In the second position, the one or more blades are deployed out of the body for insertion into the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Billy Kinane, Inge Famaey, Dieter Vangeneugden, Nils Faber
  • Patent number: 11364034
    Abstract: Methods and devices for improving airflow distribution in treatment of respiratory conditions are disclosed. According to various embodiments, blocking devices may be used to redirect air away from healthy portions of the lung to diseased portions so that inhaled medication may be more effectively delivered to the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Bart Veeckmans, Koen Engelborghs, Jan De Backer, Wim Vos
  • Patent number: 11333900
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an eyewear assembly that is configured for fast and easy removal or exchange of lenses. The eyewear assembly comprises a connector that may be inserted into a frame front in order to hold the lenses in place, and removed from the frame front in order to release the lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventor: Roman Plaghki
  • Patent number: 11291423
    Abstract: Systems and methods of radiograph correction and visualization are disclosed. Certain embodiments provide a method for generating a 3D model of at least part of one anatomical object based on one or more radiographs. The method further includes positioning the 3D model based on information indicative of a normalized projection comprising information indicative of a desired position and orientation of the at least part of one anatomical object with respect to the projection plane. The method further includes generating a 2D projection of the 3D model onto the projection plane. The method further includes generating one or more modified radiographs of the at least part of one anatomical object based on the 2D projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Vanden Berghe, Christophe Van Dijck, Barbara Friedberger, Roel Wirix-Speetjens, Ward Bartels
  • Patent number: 11260455
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an energy density map of an object to be built in an additive manufacturing environment are provided. Certain embodiments provide a method for building an object utilizing additive manufacturing, the method including: receiving a job file for building the object, wherein the job file includes a plurality of slices of the object, and wherein a first slice of the object indicates scanning lines for applying an energy source to build material to build the first slice of the object; determining operation parameters of the energy source; and generating a first energy density map of the first slice of the object based on the job file and the operation parameters of the energy source, wherein the first energy density map indicates an amount of energy from the energy source per area of build material applied to the build material for the first slice of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Michele Pavan, Piet Van Den Ecker, Tom Craeghs
  • Patent number: 11158061
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for segmenting 2D images. Certain embodiments provide a method of segmenting a 2D image. The method includes obtaining a 2D mask for the 2D image, wherein the 2D mask comprises a portion of the 2D image. The method includes selecting one or more first voxels of the 2D image not part of the 2D mask and adding the one or more first voxels of the 2D image to the 2D mask. The method includes selecting one or more second voxels of the 2D image and performing a morphological closing on one or more third voxels comprising the one or more second voxels of the 2D image that are part of the 2D mask. The method includes performing an automatic flood-fill operation on at least a portion of the 2D mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventor: Lio De Winde
  • Patent number: 11123115
    Abstract: The orthopedic systems are patient-specific and provided with two types of features for positioning and/or fixing the plate to the bone or bone fragments. A method for generating bone plates comprises: generating a model of the bone defect or envisaged osteotomy based on one or more images of the bone and the surgical plan; designing based on said model a model corresponding to the envisioned repair of said bone defect/envisaged result of the osteotomy; generating a bone plate based on the information above, comprising: one or more patient-specific features corresponding to the surface of a bone fragment in the area close to the defect; and one or more fixation features whose position and/or orientation is such that the fixation elements will enter the bone in areas suitable for fixing the bone plate to each bone fragment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Frederik Verstreken, Wilfried Vancraen, Bram Lenaerts
  • Patent number: 11126801
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to identification labels (105). Described herein are designs for 3D identification labels on objects (100), and methods and systems for designing and manufacturing such objects (100) with 3D identification labels (105).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Jeroen Berger, Anca Fulger
  • Patent number: 11104119
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved method for supporting an object made by means of stereo lithography or any other rapid prototype production method. The generation of the support begins by determining the region that requires support in each layer of the object and defines a number of support points in this region. In a next step, a support mesh is generated connected to the object using these support points. The present invention also discloses different techniques that reduce superfluous edges to further optimize the support mesh. Finally, a support is generated from this support mesh. The present invention may facilitate the generation of supports data by employing more automation and less user analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: MATERIALISE N.V.
    Inventors: Gerald Eggers, Kurt Renap
  • Patent number: 11040492
    Abstract: A system (100) and method for monitoring a recoating mechanism (415A, 415B) in an additive manufacturing environment is provided. Various embodiments involve the use of a control computer (102a-102d) to receive data based on a thermal image of a recoating mechanism (415A, 415B) from an imaging device (436) configured to capture thermal image. The control computer (102a-102d) further determines a value of a property of the thermal image, wherein the property is related to an amount of powder in the recoating mechanism. The control computer (102a-102d) further determines at least one of if the value indicates an error related to the amount of powder in the recoating mechanism (415A, 415B), and an action to take with respect to the recoating mechanism (415A, 415B) that is based on the value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: MATERIALISE N.V.
    Inventors: Sam Coeck, Piet Van Den Ecker, Michel Janssens, Tom Craeghs
  • Patent number: 10953602
    Abstract: Embodiments of this application relate to systems and methods which allow for 3-D printed objects, such as eyeglasses and wristwatches, for example, to be customized by users according to modification specifications that are defined and constrained by manufacturers based on factors relating to the printability of a modified design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Tom Cluckers, Jan Maes
  • Patent number: 10948747
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to eyewear, such as eyeglasses, configured for receiving a hose, such as a medical gas therapy hose. The eyewear comprises flexible elements and a groove defined in and extending through the flexible elements and other parts of the eyewear. The present disclosure further relates to a flexible element, such as a hinge, which may be used in eyewear to enable bending of parts of the eyewear. An exemplary embodiment of the flexible element is a hinge having a plurality of repeating units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Paulus Ludovicus Maria Groenewege, Roman Plaghki, Philippe Schiettecatte
  • Publication number: 20210038275
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to fixation devices. Certain embodiments provide a fixation device for insertion into bone. The fixation device includes a body comprising threads along an outer surface of the body. The fixation device includes one or more blades movably coupled to the body. The one or more blades are configured to move between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, the one or more blades are retracted into the body. In the second position, the one or more blades are deployed out of the body for insertion into the bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Applicant: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Billy KINANE, Inge FAMAEY, Dieter VANGENEUGDEN, Nils FABER
  • Patent number: 10853529
    Abstract: Systems and methods for designing lattice structures in a way that ensures their buildability when manufactured in an additive manufacturing environment are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: MATERIALISE N.V.
    Inventor: Manuel Michiels
  • Patent number: 10843412
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention may relate to supports and methods of manufacturing such supports that reduce the complexity of removing the supports from the object and/or a base plate. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to base plates and methods of manufacturing base plates that reduce the complexity of removing supports from the base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventor: Jan Van Espen
  • Patent number: 10846921
    Abstract: A method and system for archiving 3D geometry information for a plurality of subjects, and on a particular part of the body (which may also be the whole body) is described. The method and system allow an organizing and an analyzing step, resulting in scalable characteristic components for the particular part of the body, and an approximation of the geometry of that particular part of the body for a specific subject by a combination of a subset of those characteristic components with corresponding scale factors, which are then stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignees: Materialise Dental N.V., Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Carl Van Lierde, Michel Janssens
  • Patent number: 10766070
    Abstract: A system and method for modifying features in designs of objects to make them physically capable of being manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques and machines is provided, carrying out the following steps: Determine if one or more surfaces of the object have a surface angle below a threshold angle; designate one or more edges including a first edge, the first edge being between a first surface of the one or more surfaces and a second surface of the one or more surfaces, wherein the first surface has a surface angle below the threshold angle and the second surface has a surface angle equal to or above the threshold angle; and generate one or more additional surfaces along the one or more edges in the design file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Manuel Michiels, Gert Claes
  • Patent number: 10766245
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for distributing slice area of objects more uniformly to optimize the build process of additive manufacturing techniques are disclosed. For example, a slice area distribution of a 3D design is calculated. Further, it is determined if the calculated slice area distribution and/or other aspects of the 3D design meets a criteria based on one or more quality metrics. If the calculated slice area distribution and/or other aspects of the 3D design do not meet the criteria, the 3D design is adjusted. The determination and adjustment may be performed iteratively until the calculated slice area distribution and/or other aspects of the 3D meet the criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventor: Gert Claes
  • Patent number: 10762623
    Abstract: A two-step approach for image segmentation during the treatment planning process is disclosed. In a first step, an automatic segmentation method can be used to generate a first, provisional segmentation. The first, provisional segmentation may be generated using fast, but less accurate segmentation methods. The first provisional segmentation may be used to generate a default treatment plan for approval. Once the default treatment plan is approved, a more robust, second image segmentation may be performed. The second segmentation may be used to design patient-specific devices that can be used to deliver the patient-specific medical treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Benjamin Geebelen, Roel Wirix-Speetjens