Surgical, therapeutic, or diagnostic tool
AssigneeMaterialise N.V.
InventorsWilfried Vancraen, Louis James Keppler, Ben Geebelen, Jeroen Dille
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims18
-17. (canceled)
A surgical, therapeutic or diagnostic guide (1) comprising:
- a rigid structure, and
- at least one functional guidance element (13),
- first means (6) for positioning and holding the rigid structure by compression, the first means for positioning and holding the rigid structure by compression being at a first location on the rigid structure and including a first surface (14), that is, before application, manufactured according to a specific patient, having a negative form of and registering with a first part of the body of the specific patient, and further including a first compression means for holding the first surface against the first part of the body of the specific patient, and
- second means (2) for positioning and holding the rigid structure by compression about a second part of the body of the specific patient, the second means for positioning and holding the rigid structure by compression being at a second location on the rigid structure remote from the first location, the second means for positioning and holding including a second surface (12), that is, before application, manufactured according to the specific patient, having a negative form of and registering with at least a portion of the second part of the body of the specific patient, and further including a second compression means for holding the second surface against the second part of the body of the specific patient;
- wherein the first and/or second means for positioning and holding the rigid structure by compression is adapted for positional clamping the first or second surface respectively to the first or second part of the body, respectively.
A method of attaching a surgical, therapeutic or diagnostic guide (1) to a body of a patient, the guide (1) having a rigid structure and being adapted for use with at least one functional guidance element (13), the method comprising the steps of:
- positioning and compression holding the rigid structure at a first location on the rigid structure at a first part of the body of the patient by a first surface (14), that is patient specific, having a negative form of a first part of the body of the patient,
- manufacturing the first surface (14) according to the first part of the body the patient before application,
- positioning and holding the rigid structure by compression at a second location on the rigid structure remote from the first location about a second part of the body of the patient by a second surface (12), that is patient specific, having a negative form of at least a portion of the second part of the body of the patient,
- manufacturing the second surface (12) according to at least a portion of the second part of the body of the patient before application, and
- wherein the positioning and compression holding steps are non-invasive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.