Methods for making oxidation resistant polymeric material
AssigneesThe General Hospital Corporation, Cambridge Polymer Group, Inc.
InventorsOrhun K. MURATOGLU, Stephen H. Spiegelberg
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods for making oxidation resistant medical devices that comprise polymeric materials, for example, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The invention also provides methods of making antioxidant-doped medical implants, for example, doping of medical devices containing cross-linked UHMWPE with vitamin E by diffusion and materials used therein.
Claims23
1-79. (canceled)
A wear-resistant polymeric material containing antioxidant and detectable residual free radicals, wherein the polymeric material is non-oxidizing and cross-linked.
An antioxidant-blended, radiation-cross-linked non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals obtained by a process comprising the steps of:
- (i) blending polymeric material with an antioxidant, thereby forming an antioxidant-blended polymeric material;
- (ii) consolidating the antioxidant-blended polymeric blend;
- and
- (iii) irradiating the consolidated polymeric blend material with ionizing radiation, thereby forming the antioxidant-blended, cross-linked, and non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals.
A medical implant comprising non-oxidizing cross-linked polymeric material containing antioxidant and detectable residual free radicals.
A medical implant comprising antioxidant-blended non-oxidizing cross-linked polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals, wherein the antioxidant-blended non-oxidizing cross-linked polymeric material is made by a process comprising the steps of:
- (i) mixing polymeric material with an antioxidant, thereby forming a polymeric blend material;
- (ii) consolidating the polymeric blend material, thereby forming antioxidant-blended consolidated polymeric material;
- and
- (iii) irradiating the antioxidant-blended consolidated polymeric material with ionizing radiation, thereby forming the antioxidant-blended non-oxidizing cross-linked consolidated polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals.
A method of making an antioxidant-blended non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals comprising the steps of:
- (i) blending polymeric material with an antioxidant, thereby forming an antioxidant-blended polymeric material;
- (ii) consolidating the antioxidant-blended polymeric blend;
- and
- (iii) irradiating the consolidated polymeric blend with ionizing radiation, thereby forming the antioxidant-blended, cross-linked, and non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals.
A method of making a medical implant comprising antioxidant-blended non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals, wherein the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) blending polymeric material with an antioxidant, thereby forming an antioxidant-blended polymeric material;
- (ii) consolidating the antioxidant-blended polymeric blend;
- (iii) irradiating the consolidated polymeric blend material with ionizing radiation, thereby forming the antioxidant-blended cross-linked, and non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals;
- and
- (iv) machining the consolidated cross-linked polymeric blend material, thereby forming the medical implant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.