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US 2006/0074491 A1Published application
Boronized medical implants and process for producing the same
AssigneeDePuy Products, Inc.
InventorsBryan Smith, Sarah Aust, Ron Overholser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides metallic medical implants or medical implant parts having a bearing surface comprising a boronized metal layer. The invention further provides a process for producing a medical implant or medical implant part comprising a boronized metal layer.
Claims32
A medical implant or medical implant part comprising:
- (a) a metallic body comprising a metal or metal alloy, and
- (b) a bearing surface disposed on the body, the bearing surface comprising a boronized layer of the metal or metal alloy.
A medical implant for implantation into a patient, the medical implant comprising:
- (a) a femoral component for replacing one or more of the patient's femoral condyles, the femoral component having a metallic body comprising a metal or metal alloy and a bearing surface disposed on the body, the bearing surface comprising a boronized layer of the metal or metal alloy,
- (b) a tibial component for replacing at least a portion of the patient's proximal tibial articular surface, and
- (c) a polymeric bearing component which rests on the tibial component and confronts the bearing surface of the femoral component.
A medical implant for implantation into a patient, the medical implant comprising:
- (a) a femoral stem for anchoring the implant into the patient's femur,
- (b) a femoral head which attaches to the upper end of the femoral stem, the femoral head having a metallic body comprising a metal or metal alloy and a bearing surface disposed on the body, the bearing surface comprising a boronized layer of the metal or metal alloy, and
- (c) an acetabular component for replacing the patient's acetabulum, the acetabular component comprising a liner which confronts the bearing surface of the femoral head.
A process for producing a medical implant or medical implant part, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a medical implant or medical implant part having a metallic body,
- (b) providing a boronizing agent which yields boron upon heating,
- (c) heating the boronizing agent to a temperature at which the boronizing agent yields boron,
- (d) contacting at least a portion of the metallic body with the boron produced by the boronizing agent, and
- (e) heating the medical implant or medical implant part to an elevated temperature for a time sufficient for at least a portion of the boron produced by the boronizing agent to diffuse into at least a portion of the metallic body of the medical implant or medical implant part.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.