Materials for piezoelectric implants, and methods of poling materials for piezoelectric response for bone growth stimulation
AssigneeDMJ Concepts, LLC
InventorsJohn Robert Johnson, Kimathi Doss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of materials for piezoelectric implants. Also disclosed are exemplary methods of poling materials for piezoelectric response for bone growth stimulation. Additional exemplary embodiments are disclosed of piezoelectric implants comprising such materials.
Claims20
A compounded material for a piezoelectric implant, the compounded material comprising barium titanate, wherein the piezoelectric implant is formed from the compounded material to include a first poled surface electrically connectable to an electrode and an opposite second poled surface electrically insulated to thereby maintain a single-polarity piezoelectric signal path during cyclic loading without shorting to an opposite polarity.
A material for a piezoelectric implant comprising one or more of:
- ceramic material doped with barium titanate;
- polylactide (Poly(lactic acid), PLA) poled to be piezoelectric;
- polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) poled to be piezoelectric;
- or
- potassium sodium niobate (KNN) poled to be piezoelectric;
- wherein the material is configured such that only a first poled surface of the material is electrically connectable to an electrode, and an opposite second poled surface of the material is electrically insulated to maintain a single-polarity piezoelectric signal path during cyclic loading without shorting to an opposite polarity.
A piezoelectric implant comprising:
- a piezoelectric body having at least one poled region defining a first poled surface and a second poled surface;
- and
- an electrically conductive electrode coating along at least one bone-contacting surface of the piezoelectric implant;
- wherein:
- the electrically conductive electrode coating is electrically connected to the first poled surface of the piezoelectric body to receive a piezoelectric electrical signal generated under mechanical strain;
- the second poled surface is electrically insulated from the electrically conductive electrode coating by a non-conductive material or structural barrier such that, under cyclic strain, a time-varying piezoelectric signal of a single polarity is conducted over the electrically conductive electrode coating without shorting to an opposite polarity;
- and
- the electrically conductive electrode coating forms an electrode path over the at least one bone-contacting surface of the piezoelectric implant for distributing the piezoelectric signal to promote bone growth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.