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US 6,517,583 B1Granted
Prosthetic hip joint having a polycrystalline diamond compact articulation surface and a counter bearing surface
AssigneeDiamicron, Inc.
InventorsBill J. Pope, Jeffrey K. Taylor, Richard H. Dixon, Michael A. Vail, Kenneth M. Jensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Prosthetic joints, components for prosthetic joints, superhard bearing and articulation surfaces, diamond bearing and articulation surfaces, substrate surface topographical features, materials for making joints, bearing and articulation surfaces, and methods for manufacturing and finishing the same, and related information are disclosed, including a prosthetic hip joint having a polycrystalline diamond compact articulation surface and a counter bearing surface.
Claims77
A prosthetic hip joint comprising:
- an acetabular cup including a sintered polycrystalline diamond compact,
- a substrate located on said acetabular cup polycrystalline diamond compact, said substrate including a metal,
- an acetabular cup diamond table sintered to said acetabular cup substrate on said acetabular cup polycrystalline diamond compact, said acetabular cup diamond table,
- a zone between said acetabular cup substrate and said acetabular cup diamond table, said zone exhibiting a gradient of solvent-catalyst metal to diamond content, said gradient being selected from the group consisting of interface gradient, continuous gradient and incremental gradient, said zone being referred to as a gradient transition zone,
- chemical bonds located in said compact which tend to secure said diamond table to said substrate, said chemical bonds including diamond-to-diamond bonds, diamond-to-metal bonds, and metal-to-metal bonds,
- an acetabular cup load bearing and articulation surface on said polycrystalline diamond compact, said acetabular cup load bearing and articulation surface including polycrystalline diamond, said acetabular cup load bearing and articulation surface being formed to present a shape that is at least partially concave spherical and against which a femoral head may articulate,
- a femoral head for articulation against said acetabular cup load bearing and articulation surface, and
- a femoral head load bearing and articulation surface, said femoral head load bearing and articulation surface being formed to present a shape that is at least partially convex spherical.
5 more elements
A prosthetic hip joint comprising:
- a femoral head including a sintered polycrystalline diamond compact,
- a substrate located on said femoral head polycrystalline diamond compact, said substrate including a metal,
- a femoral head diamond table sintered to said femoral head substrate on said femoral head polycrystalline diamond compact, said femoral head cup diamond table,
- a gradient transition zone between said femoral head substrate and said femoral head cup diamond table in said femoral head cup polycrystalline diamond compact, said femoral head gradient transition zone having a substrate side and a diamond table side, said femoral head gradient transition zone having both substrate metal and diamond therein, and said femoral head gradient transition zone exhibiting a transition of ratios of percentage content of substrate metal to diamond from one side of said gradient transition zone to another such that at a first point in said femoral head gradient transition zone near said substrate side, the ratio of percentage content of substrate metal to diamond is greater than it is at a second point in said femoral head cup gradient transition zone closer to said diamond side than said first point,
- chemical bonds between said femoral head diamond table and said femoral head substrate which tend to secure said diamond table to said substrate,
- a femoral head load bearing and articulation surface on said polycrystalline diamond compact, said femoral head load bearing and articulation surface including polycrystalline diamond, said femoral head load bearing and articulation surface being formed to present a shape that is at least partially concave spherical and against which a femoral head may articulate,
- an acetabular cup for accommodating articulation of said femoral head, and
- an acetabular cup load bearing and articulation surface, said acetabular cup load bearing and articulation surface being formed to present a shape that is at least partially concave spherical.
5 more elements
A prosthetic hip joint comprising:
- an acetabular cup, and
- a femoral head;
- wherein at least one of said acetabular cup and said femoral head is at least partially formed by a polycrystalline diamond compact;
- and
- wherein the other of said acetabular cup and femoral head serves as a counter bearing surface for said polycrystalline diamond.
2 more elements
A prosthetic hip joint comprising
- an acetabular cup, and
- a femoral head;
- wherein at least one of said acetabular cup and said femoral head is a polycrystalline diamond compact including both a substrate and a diamond table attached to said substrate, said compact including:
- a substrate,
- a diamond table sintered to said substrate,
- interstitial spaces located in said diamond table,
- solvent-catalyst metal located in said interstitial spaces,
- a zone that includes both sintered diamond and substrate, said zone having a composition gradient of solvent-catalyst metal content to diamond content, said gradient being selected from the group consisting of interface gradient, continuous gradient and incremental gradient,
- chemical bonds in the component, said chemical bonds including diamond-to-diamond bonds in said diamond table, diamond-to-metal bonds in said zone, and metal-to-metal bonds in said solvent-catalyst metal,
- a mechanical grip between said diamond table and said substrate which tends to secure said diamond table to said substrate, and
- a non-planar load bearing and articulation surface formed by said diamond table;
- and
- wherein the other of said acetabular cup and said femoral head has a load bearing and articulation surface formed from a counter bearing material.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.