Medical Implants with Enhanced Osseointegration
AssigneeB6 Sigma, Inc.
InventorsGordon Daniel Blacklock, Vivek R. Dave
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Abstract
Medical implants with non-equilibrium surface structures are disclosed. The surface treatment of the implants greatly enhances osseointegration, reduces time to recovery following implant surgery, reduces surgery-related infections, and improves outcomes. The implants, including dental implants and other implants for insertion into or attachment to bone, are applicable to treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions. The methods of altering the surface properties of medical implants include exposure of a crystalline surface material, such as metal or ceramic, to a short burst of high thermal energy or shock, resulting in the introduction of a non-equilibrium concentration of crystal lattice defects in a surface layer.
Claims64
A method of treating a medical implant comprising a crystalline surface material to promote protein adsorption to said surface material, the method comprising the steps of:
- heating the surface material to form a surface layer comprising crystal lattice defects;
- and
- thermally quenching the surface layer so as to preserve a non-equilibrium concentration of said defects.
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A method of treating a medical implant comprising a crystalline surface material to promote protein adsorption to said surface material, the method comprising the step of:
- performing shock deformation of the surface to form a surface layer comprising a non-equilibrium concentration of crystal lattice defects.
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A medical implant comprising a bulk material and a surface layer;
- wherein the surface layer is disposed at a surface of the implant, and the bulk material is disposed beneath the surface layer;
- wherein the bulk material and the surface layer have essentially the same chemical composition;
- wherein the surface layer has a non-equilibrium concentration of crystal lattice defects;
- and wherein the bulk material has an equilibrium concentration of crystal lattice defects.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.