Patents by Inventor Holger Broers

Holger Broers 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).

  • Publication number: 20180368919
    Abstract: A medical radiation-based coordinate measuring device is provided which comprises a first image sensor unit and a second image sensor unit for providing a first luminosity characteristics data set and a second luminosity characteristics data set. A data processing unit is provided for determining the object coordinates of object points in the space, which are imaged by means of electromagnetic radiation, by triangulation of the luminosity characteristics data sets. At least one spacing measuring unit for the object points is provided for providing at least one spacing data set. The data processing unit is configured and programmed in such a way that, before the triangulation, it adds a spacing information to at least the first luminosity characteristics data set on the basis of a spacing data set. In addition, a coordinate measuring method is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Tobias Pfeifer, Holger Broers
  • Publication number: 20180221108
    Abstract: The invention relates to a marker element, in particular a medical or surgical marker element, for a referencing unit of a navigation system, which marker element is configured to be reflective to electromagnetic radiation, further comprising a layer comprising a multitude of retroreflective elements. An improved referencing unit and an improved navigation system are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Holger Broers, Andreas Göggelmann, Tobias Pfeifer
  • Publication number: 20160249988
    Abstract: The invention relates to a surgical referencing apparatus, comprising a marking device having at least two or more surgical marker elements which are configured for reflecting and/or emitting radiation, wherein the marker elements form a marker element arrangement for defining a reference on the body of a patient, and comprising a fixing device for fixing the marking device in place on the body of the patient. In order to provide such a referencing apparatus that allows less invasiveness when fixing the referencing apparatus to the body of a patient, the invention proposes that the marker element arrangement be of non-rigid configuration, wherein two or more marker elements are variable in position relative to one another. Furthermore, the invention relates to a surgical navigation system and a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Tobias Pfeifer, Holger Broers, Sascha Beneke
  • Publication number: 20150148810
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for inserting an intracorneal lens into an eye, comprising an imaging unit (A) for generating an image of the eye, an image processor (4) for generating a virtual image of the eye with the desired position of a pocket to be cut into the cornea, a laser unit (B) for cutting a pocket into the cornea of the eye, with a control device (13) with which, on the basis of the virtual image of the eye generated by the image processor (4), the pocket can be generated in the cornea of the eye by the laser, an insertion unit (C) for inserting an intracorneal lens into the pocket in the cornea with an optical device (11), wherein the insertion of the intracorneal lens with the optical device can be controlled on the basis of the generated virtual image of the eye, by superposing the virtual image of the eye with the real image of the eye visible through the optical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Holger Broers, Werner Berner
  • Patent number: 8945026
    Abstract: An appliance (1) for tensioning ligaments, especially articular ligaments, of a human or animal body, having at least one handle (2), the or each handle (2) being in operative engagement with, in each case, a tensioning element (3) associated therewith, and with the or each handle (2) in each case a force indicator (4), which indicates a force exerted on a or each tensioning element (3) associated with the or each handle (2) on tensioning of one or more ligaments, and a displacement indicator (5), which indicates the excursion of the tensioning element (3) in question from a reference position, and with the or each force indicator (4) and/or with the or each displacement indicator (5) there is/are associated at least one marker (7A-7H), which is arranged to be detected without contact by a measurement value ascertainment system (20) associated with the appliance (1), and also a device (20), comprising the appliance (1), for ascertaining force-displacement characteristic curves of ligaments, and also a method
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics AG
    Inventors: Walter Moser, Peter Ritschl, Holger Broers
  • Patent number: 7611520
    Abstract: A method of finding the position of a mechanical axis running in the longitudinal direction through a limb that is rotatably supported by its first end in a center of rotation that is not fixed and is not accessible for the mechanical determination of coordinates, by means of an optical coordinate-measurement device with an indicator to detect measurement-point coordinates in one rotational position of the limb such that, for each rotational position, a multi-point indicator rigidly attached near the second end of the limb signals several measurement-point coordinates, and, from the sets of measurement-point coordinates detected in a plurality of rotational positions, at least one group is selected that can be assigned to the same site of the center of rotation, and the measurement-point-coordinate sets assigned to this site of the center of rotation are used to calculate the mechanical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics AG
    Inventors: Holger Broers, Werner Berner, Bernhard Hauri, Thomas Hauri
  • Publication number: 20080188934
    Abstract: An appliance (1) for tensioning ligaments, especially articular ligaments, of a human or animal body, having at least one handle (2), the or each handle (2) being in operative engagement with, in each case, a tensioning element (3) associated therewith, and with the or each handle (2) in each case a force indicator (4), which indicates a force exerted on a or each tensioning element (3) associated with the or each handle (2) on tensioning of one or more ligaments, and a displacement indicator (5), which indicates the excursion of the tensioning element (3) in question from a reference position, and with the or each force indicator (4) and/or with the or each displacement indicator (5) there is/are associated at least one marker (7A-7H), which is arranged to be detected without contact by a measurement value ascertainment system (20) associated with the appliance (1), and also a device (20), comprising the appliance (1), for ascertaining force-displacement characteristic curves of ligaments, and also a method
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventors: Walter Moser, Peter Ritschl, Holger Broers
  • Publication number: 20060089657
    Abstract: A method of finding the position of a mechanical axis running in the longitudinal direction through a limb that is rotatably supported by its first end in a center of rotation that is not fixed and is not accessible for the mechanical determination of coordinates, by means of an optical coordinate-measurement device with an indicator to detect measurement-point coordinates in one rotational position of the limb such that, for each rotational position, a multi-point indicator rigidly attached near the second end of the limb signals several measurement-point coordinates, and, from the sets of measurement-point coordinates detected in a plurality of rotational positions, at least one group is selected that can be assigned to the same site of the center of rotation, and the measurement-point-coordinate sets assigned to this site of the center of rotation are used to calculate the mechanical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Inventors: Holger Broers, Werner Berner, Bernhard Hauri, Thomas Hauri
  • Publication number: 20050182320
    Abstract: Arrangement for ascertaining function-determining geometric parameters of a joint of a vertebrate, especially a hip or shoulder joint of a human being, in preparation for the installation of a joint replacement implant, especially a hip or shoulder socket or an associated stem implant, by means of an optical coordinate-measuring procedure, having a stereocamera or stereocamera arrangement for the spatial recording of optical transducer signals, a mobile multipoint transducer which is in the form of a movable sensor for sensing bony references in the joint region in order to determine the coordinates thereof, at least one bone-fixed multipoint transducer which is configured for rigid attachment, especially screwed or clamped attachment, (in a region sufficiently distant from the joint) to an extremity originating from the joint, especially close to the proximal end of a femur or a humerus, an interactive sequence controller for controlling the sequential registration and storage of a set of measurement point c
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Inventors: Jan Stifter, Holger Broers
  • Patent number: 6928742
    Abstract: A method of finding the position of a mechanical axis running in the longitudinal direction through a limb that is rotatably supported by its first end in a center of rotation that is not fixed and is not accessible for the mechanical determination of coordinates, by means of an optical coordinate-measurement device with an indicator to detect measurement-point coordinates in one rotational position of the limb, such that, for each rotational position, a multi-point indicator rigidly attached near the second end of the limb signals several measurement-point coordinates, and, from the sets of measurement-point coordinates detected in a plurality of rotational positions, at least one group is selected that can be assigned to the same site of the center of rotation, and the measurement-point-coordinate sets assigned to this site of the center of rotation are used to calculate the mechanical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Plus Orthopedics AG
    Inventors: Holger Broers, Werner Berner, Bernhard Hauri, Thomas Hauri
  • Publication number: 20050149050
    Abstract: Arrangement for the intra-operative determination of the spatial position and angular position of a joint replacement implant, especially a hip socket or shoulder socket or an associated stem implant, or a vertebral replacement implant, especially a lumbar or cervical vertebral implant, using a computer tomography method, having: a computer tomography modeling device for generating and storing a three-dimensional image of a joint region or vertebral region to be provided with the joint replacement implant, an optical coordinate-measuring arrangement for providing real position coordinates of defined real or virtual points of the joint region or vertebral region and/or position reference vectors between such points within the joint region or vertebral region or from those points to joint-function-relevant points on an extremity outside the joint region or vertebral region, the coordinate-measuring arrangement comprising a stereocamera or stereocamera arrangement for the spatial recording of transducer signals,
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Jan Stifter, Holger Broers
  • Publication number: 20040054442
    Abstract: Method of finding the position of a mechanical axis (5) running in the longitudinal direction through a limb (1), in particular a femur, that is rotatably supported by its first end in a center of rotation (3) that is not fixed and in particular is not accessible for the mechanical determination of coordinates, in particular the hip socket, by means of an optical coordinate-measurement device (7, 8, 9) with an indicator to detect measurement-point coordinates in one rotational position of the limb (1), such that for each rotational position a multi-point indicator (8) rigidly attached near the second end of the limb (1) signals several measurement-point coordinates, and from the sets of measurement-point coordinates detected in a plurality of rotational positions at least one group is selected that can be assigned to the same site of the center of rotation, and the measurement-point-coordinate sets assigned to this site of the center of rotation are used to calculate the mechanical axis (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Holger Broers, Werner Berner, Bernhard Hauri, Thomas Hauri