# US 12,758,269 B2 · Surgical implant and methods of additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,758,269 B2 - Document ID: US12758269B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 19/021,445 - Filed: 2025-01-15 - Published: 2025-07-17 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-07 - Assignees: Stryker Corporation - Applicants: K2M, Inc. - Inventors: Patrick Melton; Michael Prosser - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12758269B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/7035: {Screws or hooks, wherein a rod-clamping part and a bone-anchoring part can pivot relative to each other} - A61B 17/7032: {Screws or hooks with U-shaped head or back through which longitudinal rods pass} - A61B 17/7037: {wherein pivoting is blocked when the rod is clamped} - A61B 17/7049: {Connectors, not bearing on the vertebrae, for linking longitudinal elements together (A61B17/7055, A61B17/7053, A61B17/7019 take precedence)} - A61B 17/80: Cortical plates {, i.e. bone plates; Instruments for holding or positioning cortical plates, or for compressing bones attached to cortical plates} - A61B 17/86: Pins or screws {or threaded wires; nuts therefor (A61B17/72 take precedence)} - A61B 34/10: Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations - A61F 2/30942: {for designing or making customized prostheses, e.g. using templates, CT or NMR scans, finite-element analysis or CAD-CAM techniques} - A61F 2/442: {Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient (non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455)} - A61F 2/4455: {for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages (intervertebral discs A61F2/442)} - B22F 7/06: of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools {(B22F7/002 takes precedence)} - B22F 10/00: Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00) - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing - A61B 2017/00526: {Methods of manufacturing} - A61B 2034/108: {Computer aided selection or customisation of medical implants or cutting guides} - A61F 2002/30578: {having apertures, e.g. for receiving fixation screws} - A61F 2002/30787: {inclined obliquely with respect to each other} - A61F 2002/3085: {with a threaded, e.g. self-tapping, bone-engaging surface, e.g. external surface} - A61F 2002/30952: {using CAD-CAM techniques or NC-techniques} - A61F 2002/30971: {Laminates, i.e. layered products} - A61F 2002/30985: {using three dimensional printing [3DP]} - B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder - B22F 10/25: Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/40: Structures for supporting workpieces or articles during manufacture and removed afterwards - B22F 10/60: Treatment of workpieces or articles after build-up - B22F 10/64: by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) - B22F 10/66: by mechanical means - B22F 10/68: Cleaning or washing - B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing - B22F 12/38: {Housings, e.g. machine housings} - B29L 2031/753: {Medical equipment; Accessories therefor (bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008)} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - 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) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - 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 - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A method of manufacturing a surgical implant includes simultaneously forming a first component and a second component of the surgical implant. Formation of the first and second components includes depositing a first quantity of material to a building platform and fusing the first quantity of material to form a first layer of the first and second components. The method of manufacturing also includes depositing a second quantity of material over the first layer of the first and second components and fusing the second quantity of material to form a second layer of the first and second components. The surgical implant is fully assembled upon the completion of the formation of the first and second components. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing a surgical implant comprising: alternately depositing and heating successive layers of a first source material to form a first portion of a first part of the surgical implant; alternately depositing and heating successive layers of a second source material subsequent to formation of the first portion to form a second part of the surgical implant; and alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the first source material subsequent to formation of the first portion to form a second portion of the first part, wherein the first part and the second part are formed through a continuous process and are fully assembled upon completion of formation of the first part and the second part, and wherein when the first part and the second part are fully assembled, the first part is movable relative to the second part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the first part and the second part are fully assembled, the first part is one of a ball component and a socket component of a ball and socket joint implant and the second part is the other of the ball component and the socket component of the ball and socket joint implant such that the first part is rotatable relative to the second part. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the first part and the second part are fully assembled, the first part is a body component and the second part is a fastener component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the second source material subsequent to formation of the first portion to form the fastener component includes forming the fastener component to define a hollow inner shaft along a length of the fastener component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the second source material subsequent to formation of the first portion to form the fastener component includes forming a plurality of protrusions along an inner surface of the fastener component, the inner surface defining the hollow inner shaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the second source material subsequent to formation of the first portion to form the fastener component includes forming the fastener component with a plurality of protrusions, a plurality of fenestrations, or a plurality of protrusions and fenestrations distributed along a surface of a shank of the fastener component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein when the body component and the fastener component are fully assembled, the body component is a bone plate or a spinal implant. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the second source material subsequent to formation of the first portion forms the second part of the surgical implant such that the second part is retained by the first part. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein when the first part and the second part are fully assembled, the second part is irremovably retained by the first part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, subsequent to forming the first portion of the first part, alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the first source material or the second source material to form a support structure such that upon completion of formation of the first part and the second part, the support structure bridges the first part and the second part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one layer of the successive layers of the first source material used to form the first part and at least one layer of the successive layers of the second source material used to form the second part are formed simultaneously. ### Claim 12 A method of manufacturing a surgical implant comprising: alternately depositing and heating successive layers of a first source material to form a first portion of a body component of the surgical implant; alternately depositing and heating successive layers of a second source material subsequent to formation of the first portion to form a fastener component of the surgical implant, the fastener component being retained by the body component; and alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the first source material subsequent to formation of the first portion to form a second portion of the body component, wherein the body component and the fastener component are fully assembled upon completion of formation of the body component and the fastener component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein at least one layer of the successive layers of the first source material used to form the body component and at least one layer of the successive layers of the second source material used to form the fastener component are formed simultaneously. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein alternately depositing and heating successive layers of the second source material subsequent to formation of the first portion of the body component forms the fastener component of the surgical implant such that the fastener component is retained by the body component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein when the body component and the fastener component are fully assembled, the body component is a bone plate or a spinal implant. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first source material and the second source material used to form the body component and the fastener component, respectively, are metallic. ### Claim 17 A surgical implant formed through an additive manufacturing process, the surgical implant comprising: a body component defining a plurality of dimples thereon, the body component formed layer-by-layer by depositing and fusing a first plurality of successive layers of a first source material; and a fastener component defining a plurality of dimples thereon, the fastener component being disposed within a cavity of the body component, the fastener component formed layer-by-layer by depositing and fusing a second plurality of successive layers of a second source material, an initial layer of the second plurality of successive layers being formed prior to formation of a final layer of the first plurality of successive layers, wherein the body component and the fastener component are formed such that the fastener component is retained within the body component. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The surgical implant of claim 17, wherein the body component is a bone plate or a spinal implant. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The surgical implant of claim 17, wherein the body component and the fastener component are formed such that the fastener component is irremovably disposed within the body component. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The surgical implant of claim 17, further comprising a support structure, the support structure formed layer-by-layer by depositing and fusing a third plurality of successive layers of the first source material or the second source material, wherein the support structure bridges the body component and the fastener component.