Medical Implants And Methods Of Manufacture
OwnerDerrick Johns, Joseph J. Crudden +1inventors
InventorsDerrick Johns, Joseph J. Crudden, Sriram Sankar
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Abstract
Anti-biofilm osseointegrating and/or tissue-integrating implantable biomaterial devices that optionally can elute therapeutic ions such as magnesium, silver, copper and/or zinc. In certain embodiments, the devices are engineered to produce structures suitable as implants having a relatively high surface population of zeolite. Methods of producing the devices are also disclosed.
Claims20
A medical implant comprising a thermoplastic polymer defining a main body region and a surface region, said surface region being configured to be exposed to bodily fluid or tissue of a host when said medical implant is implanted in said host, said surface region comprising zeolite in an amount greater than 12% by weight.
A method of making a medical implant having a main body region and an exposed surface region and comprising a polymer, the method comprising:
- a. heating the polymer to a molten state
- b. contacting the polymer with a mixture of zeolite and indentation-forming agent with the application of force to form indentations in said exposed surface region and drive said mixture into the formed indentations of the exposed surface region;
- c. cooling the polymer;
- an
- d. washing the resulting composite.
A method of making a medical implant having a main body region and an exposed surface region and comprising a polymer, the method comprising:
- a. heating the polymer to a molten state;
- b. contacting the polymer with an indentation-forming member and zeolite to form indentations in said exposed surface region and drive the zeolite into the indentations in the exposed surface region;
- and
- c. cooling the resulting composite structure.
A method of making a medical implant having a main body region and an exposed surface region and comprising a polymer, the method comprising:
- a. injecting the polymer into the cavity of a mold at elevated temperature sufficient to melt the resin, the mold comprising a surface having a plurality of projections and a coating of zeolite;
- b. causing the melted polymer to contact said projections and driving the zeolite into the resin;
- c. removing the resulting article from the mold and cooling it.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.