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US 5,413,693 AGranted
Electrocrystallization of strongly adherent brushite coatings on prosthetic alloys
OwnerJody G. Redepenninginventor
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OwnerJody G. Redepenninginventor
Estimating the term…
An electrolytic method for providing bone-emulating, phosphate coatings on prosthetic appliances. Such coatings serve to enhance bone fixation after implantation of the appliances. The method of the invention is an electrolysis process wherein the appliance to be coated is immersed in a phosphate-containing electrolyte to serve as the cathode of the electrolysis process. When current is applied to the electrolysis cell, the electrolyte solution, which includes calcium ions and dihydrogen phosphate ions, is caused to rapidly increase in (localized) pH proximate the cathode element. The localized pH increase creates a supersaturated local condition causing less soluble calcium phosphate salts to crystallize out of the electrolyte solution and adhere to the cathode, thus effecting thereon a coating of brushite.
An electrolytically-induced crystallization method for coating a conductive substrate with a biologically compatible, bone-emulating salt comprising:
An electrolysis method for electrolytically coating a conductive substrate with strongly adherent salt crystals obtained from ions of salts that are contained in an aqueous electrolyte, said method comprising using the substrate as a cathode in an electrolysis apparatus, initiating a nominal pH of the electrolyte and electrolyzing the cathode so that hydrogen evolves causing local pH proximate surfaces of the cathode to vary from the nominal causing less soluble forms of said salts in the electrolyte to crystallize out of the electrolyte and adhere in crystalline form to the cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.