Professor Dr Felix Capanni

Professor
Faculty Mechatronics and Medical Engineering

Functions at the university

Address:
Albert-Einstein-Allee 53-55
89081 Ulm
Room: Q115
Office hours:

Mo-Fr 9:30am-11:30am
Mo-We 1:00pm-2:30pm

Member Ethics Committee
Address:
Prittwitzstraße 10
89075 Ulm
Room: A305a
Address:
Albert-Einstein-Allee 53-55
89081 Ulm
Room: Q271
Member Institute Council IMM

Research and teaching priorities

Subject areas

Design Theory and Applied Design Theory

Product Development in Medical Technology

Regulatory Affairs

Biomechanics

 

Research Areas

Implant Technology

Orthotics and Prosthetics

 

Ongoing PhD theses 

Nicolas Bader, principal supervisor, University of Ulm, title: Development and evaluation of an implant for photochemical-dynamic therapy (PCDT) for preliminary investigations into repetitive glioblastoma treatment 

Christian Halbauer, primary supervisor, Baden-Württemberg Doctoral Association, Title: Biomechanical analysis of the angle-stable PHILOS™ Long implant system with regard to straight and helical plate osteosynthesis for the management of a proximal humeral shaft fracture using physiological implant system testing and bone healing simulation

Jochen Werner, primary supervisor, Baden-Württemberg Doctoral Association, Title: Prediction of gait patterns in orthosis wearers using mechanical characterisation of orthoses and musculoskeletal simulation

 

Completed doctoral theses

Dr. rer. pol. Max Diamond Singh, 2016, Co-supervisor, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Title: Aspects of the Dynamics of Spine Surgery Technologies

Dr. hum. biol. Hendrik Schorler, 2021, Second Reviewer, University of Lübeck, Title: Standardised testing of bone plate-screw constructs for osteosynthesis

Dr. biol. hum. Eugen Dötzel, 2021, First Examiner, University of Ulm, Title: A clinical study investigating the biomechanics of forefoot amputees when wearing a custom-fitted carbon prosthesis and a (standard) silicone prosthesis

Dr. biol. hum. Lennart Mentz, 2022, First Examiner, University of Ulm, Title: Validity and Reliability of Mechanical Power Output in Rowing Ergometer Testing – Background, Development, and Application of a Test Rig for Air-Braked Rowing Ergometers

Dr. med. Christian Peschmann, 2024, Second Examiner, University of Ulm, Title: Investigations into the feasibility and tolerability of repetitive photodynamic and photochemical therapy using a fully implantable system in a large-animal model for the future treatment of glioblastoma 

About me

Head of Studies for the Master’s Programme in Medical Technology

Head of the Biomechatronics Laboratory

Head of the Biomechatronics Research Group

Head of the Steinbeis Institute for Implant Development, Testing and Approval

 

Engineering and scientific education and career history

Studied medical technology and business administration

PhD in the field of implant technology 

Development engineer and head of development at Stryker Freiburg (cranio-maxillofacial and hand surgery, distraction osteogenesis)

Head of Development and Regulatory Affairs at Litos, Hamburg (orthopaedic implants)

 

Research placements 

Legacy Research & Technology Centre, Biomechanics Laboratory, Portland, OR, USA (2013 and 2016)

OrthoKinetic Technologies LLC, Southport, North Carolina, USA (2018/2019)

 

Activities within the research community

Reviewer for the DAAD

Reviewer for AiF Projekt GmbH (funding programme for applied research in Bavaria)

Reviewer, AiF Forschung·Technik·Kommunikation GmbH

Judge for the DGBMT Biomedical Engineering Student Competition

Organiser of ‘Jugend Forscht’, regional competition at Ulm University of Applied Sciences

 

Editorial roles

Co-editor of the CE Route Planner, published by TÜV Media, TÜV Rheinland

 

Memberships of scientific professional associations

VDE, DGBMT specialist society

DGfB, German Society for Biomechanics e.V.

DIN Standards Committee for Precision Engineering and Optics (NA 027-02-15 AA Endoprosthetics and Osteosynthesis)

 

Positions held in scientific societies

Advisory Board of the journal *Trauma und Berufskrankheit* (Trauma and Occupational Diseases), Springer Verlag

Advisory Board for the textbook series ‘Biomedical Engineering’, German Society for Biomedical Engineering

Judge for the Medical Technology Student Competition, German Society for Biomedical Engineering

Founding member of the Biomechatronics Research Group at Ulm University of Applied Sciences 

 

Ongoing projects

Photochemically-dynamic implant for the long-term treatment of glioblastoma, funded by: KMU Innovativ-Medizintechnik

Development of a modular and long-term stable positioning aid for arm prostheses, funded by: AiF/ZIM

Continuous improvement and evidence-based assessment of gait patterns in musculoskeletal disorders using an AI-supported

sensor system, using peroneal nerve palsy as a case study (OrthoKI), funded by: Carl Zeiss Foundation

 

Completed projects

Digitalisation and virtualisation in orthopaedic technology – SmartOT (Phase 1), 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Development of a method for the automated design, specification and manufacture of patient-specific orthopaedic aids using 3D printing, 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2021, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Development of an intelligent, networked sensor system for the instrumentation of medical devices to enable evidence-based manufacturing and optimisation, using an orthopaedic prosthesis as an example, 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2019, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Development of a method for the mechanical testing and numerical simulation of osteosynthesis systems under realistic and physiological test conditions, 1 June 2018 to 30 May 2021, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

AI-based TexWare sensor technology for mobile muscle tone tracking for adaptive eHealth solutions, 1 August 2018 to 1 July 2019, EXIST start-up grant, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Active orthopaedic technology for the upper limb, 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, EXIST start-up grant, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Microcontroller-based LED implant for post-operative intracranial photodynamic therapy of glioblastoma cells (PDT implant for short), 1 June 2015 to 31 May 2017, Innovative Projects 2015, MWK Baden-Württemberg

Investigation of the effectiveness of an intracerebral photochemical/photodynamic theranostic implant for adjuvant glioblastoma therapy in domestic pigs, 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2019,  Innovative Projects 2015, MWK Baden-Württemberg

Development of a software tool for the analysis and parameterisation of joining techniques for combining individual structures with different functional elements in orthopaedic aids, 1 May 2021 to 31 October 2023, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Digitalisation and virtualisation in orthopaedic technology – SmartOT (Phase 2), 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023, ZIM Network, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Development of an innovative simulation and testing system, including the design of new osteosynthesis implants for improved bone healing through the use of dynamic fracture stabilisation – FractureHeal, 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

OrthoKI – Continuous improvement and evidence-based assessment of gait patterns in musculoskeletal disorders using an AI-supported sensor system, using peroneal nerve palsy as a case study, 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2026, Carl Zeiss Foundation

 

Peer-Reviewed Publikationen
Capanni F., Jürgens C. Winkelstabile Osteosyntheseimplantate - Intraoperativ montierbares, telemetrisches Lastmesssystem. Trauma Berufskh, 9:98-102, 2007

Heizmann V., Capanni F., Engleder T., Appelt A. Development of an Extraosseous Nitinol Implant for the Hallux Valgus Treatment: Primilary Mechanical Investigations, Design and Numerical Simulation.Biomed Tech 2012, 57, Suppl. 1

Dürr M., Krais C., Peschmann C., Capanni F., Engleder T. Development of a Patient-Specific Carbon Prothesis to Support Sporting Activities. Biomed Tech 2012, 57, Suppl. 1

Hepp, D.; Kirsch, F.; Capanni, F.. Smartphone supported upper limb prosthesis. Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering - ISSN 2364-5504. - DOI: 10.1515/cdbme-2015-0116

S. Maile, S. Kobel, M. Munz, T. Engleder, J. M. Steinacker, F. Capanni. 3D-based visual physical activity assessment of children.Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering, DOI: doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2015-0111

Capanni, F.; Hansen, K.; Fitzpatrick, D.; Madey, S.; Bottlang, M.. Elastically suspending the screw holes of a locked osteosynthesis plate can dampen impact loads. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, Vol. 31/3, 2015, S. 164-169; DOI: 10.1123/jab.2014-0193

Hendrik Schorler, Felix Capanni, Muneer Gaashan, Robert Wendlandt, Christian Jürgens and Arndt-Peter Schulz. Bone plates for osteosynthesis - A systematic review of test methods and parameters for biomechanical testing. Biomed Tech (Berl). 2017 May 24; 62(3):235-243. doi: 10.1515/bmt-2015-0219.

Hendrik Schorler, Robert Wendlandt, Christian Jürgens, Arndt-Peter Schulz, Christian Kaddick and Felix Capanni. Bone plate-screw constructs for osteosynthesis - recommendations for standardized mechanical torsion and bending testing. Biomed Tech (Berl). 2018 Nov 27; 63(6):719-727. doi: 10.1515/bmt-2017-0126.

Fabian Mager, Jim D. Richards, Malika Hennies, Eugen Dötzel, Ambreen Chohan, Alex Mandla Mbuli, Felix Capanni. Determination of ankle and metatarsophalangeal stiffness during walking and jogging J Appl Biomech. 2018 Oct 18:1-6. doi: 10.1123/jab.2017-0265

Richard Kast, Nicolas Skuli, Iacopo Sardi, Felix Capanni, Martin Heßling, Guido Frosina, Anton Kast, Georg Karpel-Massler, Mar-Eric Halatsch. Augmentation of 5-Aminoevulinic acid treatment of glioblastoma by adding ciprofloxacin, deferiprone, 5-fluorouracil and febuxostat: The CAALA regimen. Brain Sci. 2018, 8(12), 203; doi.org/10.3390/brainsci8120203

 

​Weitere Publikationen

Capanni F, Maguire RP. Robot Tracer Injection. PSI Life Sciences, Annual Report, Annex II, 1996

Capanni F. Dynamische Kalibrierung von Pneumotachographen einschließlich Linearitätsprüfung. www.sw-labor.fhulm.de/Diplomarbeitsdatenbank 1997

Hans-Werner Bouman, Felix Capanni, Sigmund Polzer, Steffen Berlet. Neuentwicklung eines Distraktors zur präzisen  Reposition und Distraktion intraartikulärer Basis-Frakturen der Finger-Mittelglieder mit und ohne Luxation. ATOSnews, Ausgabe 14, 2009

Dötzel, Eugen; Capanni, Felix; Engleder, Thomas; Steinacker, Jürgen. Gait biomechanics of patients with forefoot amputation using a customized carbon fiber prosthesis. Abstracts BMTMedPhys 2017 Annual Meeting of the German Society of Biomedical Engineering

Gaashan, Muneer; Engleder, Thomas; Capanni, Felix. Simulation and development of a patient-specific carbon fiber forefoot prosthesis using finite element method.Jahrestagung der Biomedizinischen Technik und Dreiländertagung der Medizinischen Physik, Dresden, 10.-13.9.2017

N. Bader, F. Capanni, M-E Halatsch, R.E. Kast, C. Peschmann. A novel treatment approach after glioblastoma resection: microcontroller-based surgical implant with light-emitting diods for postoperative irradiation of glioblastoma cells. Abstracts BMTMedPhys Biomedical Engineering/Biomedizinische Technik. - 2017. - 62(s1). - S. 301–303. - ISSN: 0013-5585. - DOI: doi.org.10.1515/bmt-2017-5059

F. Capanni, S. Matyssek, M. Gaashan, E. Dötzel. Development of a Customised Forefoot Prosthesis to Enable Reintegration into Recreational Sports. Orthopädie Technik, 05/2018

Muneer Gaashan, Thomas Engleder, Eugen Dötzel, Felix Capanni, Jürgen M. Steinacker. Patient specific FEM design of a carbon fiber forefoot prosthesis to support reintegration into daily sports. Abstract P4162, 8th World Congress of Biomechanics, Dublin, 2018

Eugen Dötzel, Muneer Gaashan, Steffen Matyssek, Jürgen M. Steinacker, Jim D. Richards, Felix Capanni. Initial results of a clinical study with traumatic forefoot amputees: Comparison of gait parameters wearing a customized carbon and a silicone prosthesis. Abstract O1457, 8th World Congress of Biomechanics, Dublin, 2018

Steffen Matyssek, Eugen Dötzel, Muneer Gaashan, Felix Capanni. Digital unterstützter Herstellungsprozess einer individuell angepassten Vorfußprothese aus Carbon-Faserverbund. Medical Device Manufacturing Conference Abstractband, April 2017

E. Dötzel, M. Gaashan, F. Mager, D. Sergi, J. M. Steinacker, F. Capanni. Biomechanische Analyse richtungsändernder Bewegungen – Vergleich einer vorfußamputierten Probandin mit einer gesunden Kontrollgruppe. Orthopädie Technik, 04/2019

 

Poster

Heizmann V., Capanni F., Engleder T., Appelt A. Development of an Extraosseous Nitinol Implant for the Hallux Valgus Treatment: Preliminary Mechanical Investigations, Design and Numerical Simulation. 49th DGBMT Annual Conference, Jena, 2012

Dürr M., Krais C., Peschmann C., Capanni F., Engleder T. Development of a Patient-Specific Carbon Prothesis to Support Sporting Activities.49th DGBMT Annual Conference, Jena, 2012

D. Hepp, J. Kirsch, F. Capanni. Smartphone supported upper limb prosthesis. 49th DGBMT Annual Conference, Jena, 2012

E. Dötzel, T. Engleder, F. Capanni. Standardisierte Herstellung patientenindividueller Sportprothesen - traumaFit. Innovationsforum Medizintechnik, Medical Mountain, Tuttlingen, 2013

D. Hepp, J. Kirsch, T. Engleder, F. Capanni. Myoelektrische Fremdkraftprothese für die obere Extremität – flexHand. Innovationsforum Medizintechnik, Medical Mountain, Tuttlingen, 2013

Capanni, F.; Hansen, K.; Fitzpatrick, D.; Madey, S.; Bottlang, M.. Elastically suspending the screw holes of a locked osteosynthesis plate can dampen impact loads. 9. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Biomechanik (DGfB), Mai 2015

D. Hepp, J. Kirsch, F. Capanni. Development of a smart phone supported upper limb prosthesis with eleven active driven degrees of freedom. ISPO World Congress, Lyon, 2015

Eugen Dötzel, Felix Capanni, Thomas Engleder, Jürgen M. Steinacker. Gait biomechanics of patients with forefoot amputation using a customized carbon fiber prosthesis. Jahrestagung der Biomedizinischen Technik und Dreiländertagung der Medizinischen Physik, Dresden, 2017

Gaashan M, Engleder T, Steinacker J.M., Dötzel E, Capanni F. Patient specific FEM design of a carbon forefoot prosthesis for physical active patients. OT World, Leipzig, 2018

M. Gaashan, T. Engleder, E. Dötzel, J.M. Steinacker, J. Richards, F. Capanni. Patient-specific FEM Design of a Carbon Fiber Forefoot Prosthesis to Support Reintegration into Daily Sports. 8th World Congress of Biomechanics, Dublin, 2018

Schorler H., Halbauer C., Wendlandt R., Jürgens C., Schulz A.-P., Capanni F.. Recommended mechanical testing of bone plate-screw constructs for regulatory purposes. 11. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Biomechanik (DGfB), April 2019

Halbauer C., Schorler H., Engleder T., Capanni F.. A sensitivity analysis to evaluate the influence of the center span and plate to bone distance on a plate-screw-bone construct for implant testing. 11. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Biomechanik (DGfB), April 2019 (Nominiert für Best Poster Award)

 

Bücher/Buchbeiträge

Stephan Klein, Felix Capanni, Uvo M. Hölscher, Frank Rothe. Entwicklung und Bewirtschaftung von Medizinprodukten, in: Biomedizinische Technik – Faszination, Einführung, Überblick: Band 1, Ute Morgenstern, Marc Kraft et al., 2014, ISBN 978-3-11-025198-2

Max D. Singh und Felix Capanni. Medizintechnik Spin-offs aus der Hochschule Ulm – ein Prozessbeispiel, in: Entrepreneurship im Gesundheitswesen, Pfannstiel et al., 2018, ISBN 978-3-658-14780-8

A. Steffen, J. Stockhardt, F. Capanni, A. Emmendörfer. Medizinprodukte planen, entwickeln, realisieren - Der CE-Routenplaner. TÜV Media GmbH, ISBN 978-3-8249-1100-4. www.tuev-media.de/produkte/91100-medizinprodukte-planen-entwickeln-realisieren.php

F. Capanni, N. Bader, C. Peschmann und M.-E. Halatsch. Intrazerebrales Implantat für die adjuvante repetitive Glioblastombehandlung, in: Marschner et al., 2020, Biomedizinische Technik - Vernetzte und intelligente Implantate, De Gryter

F. Capanni. Fixateur Interne und Fixateur Externe Messsysteme, in: Marschner et al., 2020, in: Biomedizinische Technik - Vernetzte und intelligente Implantate, De Gryter