Patents by Inventor Louis James Keppler

Louis James Keppler 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: 8702686
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an adaptable therapeutic, diagnostic or surgical guide for an intra-operative adjustment of a guidance element to a pre-planned position. An advantage and innovation of the present invention is that it provides a template or guide that adapts in a controlled way to a changed intra-operative anatomical situation compared to the default planned situation. This adaption maybe purely positional but it may also include force feedback. Feedback, either visual feedback or force feedback that results in an adjustment of a guidance element is also an aspect of the present invention. For example, the feedback can contain information either about the fit of the guide or template onto a bone (in case the guide or template fits onto one bone) or about the relative position of two bones of bone fragments (e.g. ligament tension between the femur and tibia).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Materialise NV
    Inventors: Ben Geebelen, Roel Wirix-Speetjens, Louis James Keppler, Wilfried Vancraen
  • Publication number: 20140074099
    Abstract: The present invention relates to surgical guides, and methods for their manufacture. The invention provides surgical guides comprising at least one alignment element and at least two guiding elements. The alignment elements can constrain the guiding elements into an initial position which guides a surgical operation, and optionally at least one target position different from the initial position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicants: University of Zurich, MATERIALISE N.V.
    Inventors: Lara Vigneron, Louis James Keppler, Claudio Fadri Dora, Stephan Herrman Wirth, Elke Antonia Maria Giets
  • Publication number: 20140046332
    Abstract: The present invention relates to stopping tool guides for use during surgical interventions and combinations of these stopping tool guides with surgical guides. The present invention further relates to methods for the manufacture of such stopping tool guides and combinations thereof with surgical guides. The stopping tool guides and combinations of such stopping tool guides with surgical guides according to the present invention are particularly useful in surgical osteotomy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Inventors: Ayishwariya Premanathan, Louis James Keppler
  • Publication number: 20120234329
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a therapeutic, diagnostic or surgical tool, e.g. surgical guide frame for medical treatments, comprising: —a rigid structure, and —at least one functional guidance element (13), wherein the rigid structure comprises means for positioning and holding the rigid structure around a soft tissue area of a patient and includes means for compressing the soft tissue area surrounded by the positioning and holding means as well as to the use of such a therapeutic, diagnostic or surgical tool for medical treatments, especially in areas where the therapeutic, diagnostic or surgical tool, e.g. surgical guide is supported on soft tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Wilfried Vancraen, Louis James Keppler, Ben Geebelen, Jeroen Dille
  • Publication number: 20120179147
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an adaptable therapeutic, diagnostic or surgical guide for an intra-operative adjustment of a guidance element to a pre-planned position. An advantage and innovation of the present invention is that it provides a template or guide that adapts in a controlled way to a changed intra-operative anatomical situation compared to the default planned situation. This adaption maybe purely positional but it may also include force feedback. Feedback, either visual feedback or force feedback that results in an adjustment of a guidance element is also an aspect of the present invention. For example, the feedback can contain information either about the fit of the guide or template onto a bone (in case the guide or template fits onto one bone) or about the relative position of two bones of bone fragments (e.g. ligament tension between the femur and tibia).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: Materialise N.V.
    Inventors: Ben Geebelen, Roel Wirix-Speetjens, Louis James Keppler, Wilfried Vancraen