Curriculum Vita

John R. Pepper, M.S., P.E.

Education:

Master of Science                  Biomedical Engineering             University of Texas Southwestern          1992

Bachelor of Science               Mechanical Engineering             Worcester Polytechnic Institute             1983

Registered:

Professional Engineer            Mechanical Engineering Commonwealth of Massachusetts         License #35879

Experience:

Principal/Founder – Creative Orthopaedics, LLC, March 2002- present

      Specializing in the research, design and fabrication of cutting edge orthopaedic implants and instruments.

Corporate clients and orthopaedic surgeons are clients. Completed projects include:   

Spine

    Pedicle Screw - getting around 555

    Pedicle Rod Cross Link

    Nucleus Replacement Test Station (now part of ASTM spec)  

    Facet Fixation Device

    Bone Distracter

    Pedicle Rod Reducer

    Allograft Spacers

Arthroplasty

    Knee Cutting Guide

    Hip Broach

    Shoulder Arthroplasty System

Lower Extremity

   Foot Frame

   Navigation Tools

Soft Tissue

     Tendon Release Device

Miscellaneous

    Self Locking Screw Driver

    Bone Graft Delivery Device

    Bone Saw 

Independent development projects were also undertaken and are at various stages of development and or licensing. A partial list is below.

Anterior Cervical Plate

Guide Rod - Trauma, Hip

Image Guided Instrument

Minimally Invasive method and instrument – Spine, hip, trauma

Nucleus Replacement

Pedicle Rod Placement Tool - Disposable

PolyAxial Plate and Screw - Trauma

Suture Anchor and Method

Urology device

Senior Project Engineer – Doctors Research Group, 2001- 2002

      Conception of and Design of Self Contained Locking Orthopaedic Screw, 2.7mm, 3.5 mm and 4.0 mm.

      Design of Self Locking Cap for Spinal Pedicle Screw. Manufacturing cost for both of these reduced to less than one dollar.

Senior Design Engineer -- Surgical Dynamics Division of US Surgical, 1999-2001

      ALLOCRAFT Allograft Spacer and Instruments for Posterior Lumbar Spinal Fusion, now sold by Stryker    

            Conceived and designed a sagittal and coronal plane fit vertebral spacer cage. Doing anatomical research

            to create a 3D Virtual surgery model, it became apparent that competitive products fitted the sagittal plane only.

            Designing the implant for coronal plane fit reduces subsidence by lowering point contact stresses on cortical shell

            of vertebra. Designed low stress allograft delivery system by incorporating medial and lateral deliver channels built

            into implant. Combined requirements and constraints of surgeons, bone banks and intellectual property to make easy to

            implant spacer system. Heavy surgeon interface with Dom Coric, MD.

      Stiffness Optimized Spinal Fusion Spacer Cage.

            Extensive literature research to determine fundamental property of implants for fusion. Designed delivery

            instruments with emphasis on ease of use and reducing OR time.

      Evaluated patented technology for efficacy, all spacer cages. Researched novel material application to spinal

      fusion market. Full use of rapid prototyping to speed design iterations. Virtual surgery performed on designs. Modeled anatomy,

      implant and instruments within CAD package. Makes concepts easy to understand for surgeons and corporate personnel.

Senior Product Development Engineer -- Smith & Nephew, Orthopaedic Trauma Division,  1993-1999

TriGen Design Engineer.    Titanium nail system      Launched at 1999 AAOS/OTA     ~$40MM annual sales

TriGen is a comprehensive lower extremity fracture treatment system. Seven fracture classes are treated with tools

contained in one instrument case. A new entry and bone manipulation technique are the main reason the TriGen

system can reduce OR time by approximately thirty percent. Reception by hospital staff and sales representatives

has been outstanding. Primary design surgeons were Toney Russell, MD and Roy Sanders MD. I was the main

engineer on the team that developed the system. There are numerous patents filed on designs for this, see the

patent section. See details at http://www.trigennails.com/

TriMax Design Engineer    Modular Intramedullary Nail     Clinical trial 1994-1996

TriMax is a modular intramedullary nail designed to reduce inventory required to repair femoral neck and shaft

fractures. The Health Care market of the early nineties demanded a system that was going to cost much less than

the one piece nails used to that point. Over one hundred nails are implanted. Improvements in the market place

have halted full release of TriMax. Much instrumentation and several design features were carried over to the

TriGen system. Conducted cadaver studies to justify design changes in the implant design. Full design responsibility. Product,

      sales and marketing support of existing products. Heavy surgeon interface.

President/Chief Engineer-The TAPER Corporation,              1995-1998, part time

      Designed an operating room fixture (Beeperack-storage device for pagers in the OR), wrote and prepared patent,

      launched a partnership to manufacture and market this device. Conducted market research, manufacturing research

      produced product literature, established sales plan and set up distribution plan.

Research Assistant -- University of Texas Southwestern and Humana Advanced Surgical Institutes, 1990-1993

Lead surgeon for thirty four canine surgeries installing external fixation hardware as a part of an in vivo study of

the effects of capacitive coupled electrical stimulation on limbs lengthened by the Illizarov technique. Histology:

determined cellular growth patterns in callus sections. Mechanical properties analysis using Instron testing machine

Spinal study of the effect of instrumentation on intradiscal pressure in the cadaveric spine.

Assisted with craniofacial studies in porcine models, in vivo surgery.

Mechanical Engineer -- Waters Chromatography Division of Millipore Corporation, 1985-1990

Designed Mechanical Fluidic, and Optical Design verification and testing hardware

Mechanical Engineer -- Hamilton Standard Div. of United Technologies, 1983-1985

Part of project management team responsible for testing and getting flight approval for an afterburner fuel

      pump for the F15 and F16

Patents

5,489,284  Cannulated Modular Nail

5,549,610  Implant design for simultaneous treatment of femoral neck and shaft fracture

5,569,249  Cannulated Modular Intramedullary Nail

5,855,579  Cannulated Modular Intramedullary Nail

5,609,596  Guide rod manipulator - one hand operation allows faster fracture reduction

5,806,692  Apparatus for Storage and Display of Personal Communication Devices

5,951,561  Minimally Invasive Intramedullary Nail Insertion Instruments and Method

5,989,255  Orthopedic Bone Screw Apparatus

6,010,506  Intramedullary nail hybrid bow

6,183,477  Attachment Tool for Drill Guide

6,395,033  Dynamic Fusion Mechanostat Devices

6,620,167  Orthopaedic Screw Having Driver-Locking Head

Pending      Long Bone Reamer and Method

Applied      Image Guided Surgery Device and Method

Pending      Vertebral Fusion Device

Pending      Bone Reamer

Pending      Hip Reamer

Pending      Tendon Release

Pending      Lumbar Allograft Insertion Instrument

Pending      Disposable Pedicle Alignment Tool

Pending      Guide Rod

Pending      Pedicle Rod Placement Tool

Pending      Suture Anchor and Method

Publications:

Effect of Capacitive Coupled Electrical Stimulation on Regenerate Bone

      Journal of Orthopaedic Research, March 1996, 14:296-302; primary author

Studies (non published):

Intradiscal Pressure Measurements Above an Instrumented Fusion.  A Cadaveric Study.

      Weinhoffer SL, Guyer RD, Herbert M, Spine, March 1, 1995, 20 (5) p526-31;

      contributor; performed initial cadaver study and data analysis; presented at society meeting

Implantable Drug Pump -- post mortum analysis of pump performance.  Done in conjunction with the University of

      Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Denton County Coroner; presented at society meeting by Coroner

Cadaveric Study of Intramedullary Canal Fill by Nails of Various Cross Section

Software Experience: Unigraphics (13 years); Pro Engineer, SolidWorks; Mechanica; Ansys, Access, SAS

CAD Software:    SolidWorks with Office (animation and photo rendering)

Guest Lecturer: Orthopaedics I, University of Memphis, 1995 & 1996, Quinnipiac University, Sigma Xi, 2001

In-House Manufacturing:

    South Bend Lathe

    Bridgeport Mill

    Wire Feed Welder

    Compressed Air and Tools

    Drill Press

    Polishing

    Grinding

    Sever-All Saw

    Jones & Lamson Optical Comparator