# US 10,945,847 B2 · Porous implant structures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,847 B2 - Document ID: US10945847B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/603,936 - Filed: 2017-05-24 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2009-08-19 - Assignees: Smith & Nephew, Inc. - Applicants: Smith & Nephew, Inc. - Inventors: Jeffrey Sharp; Shilesh Jani; Laura Gilmour; Ryan Landon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945847B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/28: Bones - A61L 27/56: Porous materials, {e.g. foams or sponges} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing - B33Y 70/10: Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - A61F 2002/3028: {polyhedral different from parallelepipedal and pyramidal} - A61F 2002/30593: {hollow} - A61F 2002/30914: {Details of the mesh structure, e.g. disposition of the woven warp and weft wires} - A61F 2002/3092: {having an open-celled or open-pored structure} - A61F 2002/30962: {using stereolithography} - A61F 2230/0063: Three-dimensional shapes - A61L 24/0036: {Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges} - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Porous biocompatible structures suitable for use as medical implants and methods for fabricating such structures are disclosed. The disclosed structures may be fabricated using rapid manufacturing techniques. The disclosed porous structures each have a plurality of struts and nodes where no more than two struts intersect one another to form a node. Further, the nodes can be straight, curved, and can include portions that are curved and/or straight. The struts and nodes can form cells that can be fused or sintered to at least one other cell to form a continuous reticulated structure for improved strength while providing the porosity needed for tissue and cell in-growth. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for fabricating a porous structure, said method comprising the steps of: creating a computer aided design (CAD) model of the porous structure; the creating comprising: determining a shape and size of a frame for one or more cells of the porous structure, where the shape of the frame comprises a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of Archimedean shapes, Platonic shapes, strictly convex polyhedrons, prisms, anti-prisms and combinations thereof; defining the frame based on the shape and size determined; defining two or more struts with a first end, a second end, and a continuous elongated body having a length between the first and second ends for each strut, wherein said body comprises a curved portion, the curved portion curves along at least a portion of the length between the first and second ends; defining at least one junction with a tangential intersection between two of said curved portions; and adding the two or more struts and the at least one junction to the frame; selecting a thickness for the frame and the one or more struts; and fabricating the porous structure according to the CAD model by exposing fusible material to an energy source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the adding step is performed by inscribing or circumscribing the curved portion of the two or more struts within or around one or more faces of the selected shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: removing a portion of the frame from one or more cells of the CAD model before the fabrication step. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the fabricating step further comprises selecting a material for fabricating at least one of the two or more struts from the group consisting of metal, ceramic, metal-ceramic (cermet), glass, glass-ceramic, polymer, composite and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the fabricating step further comprises selecting a metallic material for fabricating at least one of the two or more struts from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloy, zirconium, zirconium alloy, niobium, niobium alloy, tantalum, tantalum alloy, nickel-chromium, cobalt-chromium alloy and combinations thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of defining a cross section of at least one of the two or more struts with a polygon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of defining at least a portion of at least one of the two or more struts with a circular cross section.