# US 9,039,963 B2 · Titanium based ceramic reinforced alloy for use in medical implants

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- Number: US 9,039,963 B2
- Document ID: US9039963B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/650,877
- Filed: 2012-10-12
- Published: 2014-04-17
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-12
- Assignees: Pulse Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Andrew E. Fisk; Anatolii Demchyshyn; Mykola Kuzmenko; Sergei Firstov; Leonid Kulak
- Inventors: Andrew E. Fisk; Anatolii Demchyshyn; Mykola Kuzmenko; Sergei Firstov; Leonid Kulak
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039963B2

## CPC

- A61L 31/124: {of other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/122 or A61L31/123}
- A61L 31/022: {Metals or alloys}
- B22D 7/005: {from non-ferrous metals}
- B22D 21/005: {with high melting point, e.g. Be 1280 degrees C, Ti 1725 degrees C}
- B22D 25/06: by its physical properties (B22D27/00 takes precedence)
- C22C 14/00: Alloys based on titanium
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22)
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)

## Abstract

A titanium based, ceramic reinforced alloy ingot for use in producing medical implants. An ingot is formed from an alloy having comprising from about 5 to about 35 wt. % niobium, from about 0.5 to about 3.5 wt. % silicon, and from about 61.5 to about 94.5 wt. % of titanium. The alloy has a hexagonal crystal lattice α phase of from about 20 vol % to about 70 vol %, and a cubic body centered β crystal lattice phase of from about 30 vol. % to about 80 vol. %. The ingot has an ultimate tensile strength of about 940 MPa or more, and a Young's modulus of about 150 GPa or less. A molten substantially uniform admixture of a niobium, silicon, and titanium alloy is formed, cast into a shape, and cooled into an ingot. The ingot may then be formed into a medical implant and optionally annealed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ingot comprising an alloy, the alloy comprising from about 5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of niobium, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 3.5 wt. % of silicon, and from about 61.5 wt. % to about 94.5 wt. % of titanium, the alloy having a hexagonal crystal lattice α phase of from about 20 vol % to about 70 vol %, and a cubic body centered β crystal lattice phase of from about 30 vol. % to about 80 vol. %, the ingot having an ultimate tensile strength of about 1,000 MPa or more, and a Young's modulus of about 150 GPa or less.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy comprises from about 5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of niobium, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 3.5 wt. % of silicon, and the balance titanium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy comprises from about 7 wt. % to about 25 wt. % of niobium, from about 1 wt. % to about 2.5 wt. % of silicon, and from about 72.5 wt. % to about 92 wt. % of titanium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy comprises from about 10 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of niobium, from about 1.25 wt. % to about 2 wt. % of silicon, and from about 78 wt. % to about 88.75 wt. % of titanium.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 which has an ultimate tensile strength of from about 1000 MPa to about 1400 MPa, and a Young's modulus of from about 100 GPa to about 150 GPa.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 which has an ultimate tensile strength of from about 1100 MPa to about 1300 MPa, and a Young's modulus of from about 110 GPa to about 140 GPa.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy has no more than 2 wt. % of nitrogen, no more than 2 wt. % of oxygen, and no more than 2 wt. % of carbon.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy has about 1 wt. % of nitrogen or less, about 1 wt. % of oxygen or less, and about 1 wt. % of carbon or less.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy has about 0.5 wt. % of nitrogen or less, about 0.5 wt. % of oxygen or less, and about 0.5 wt. % of carbon or less.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy comprises a hexagonal crystal lattice α phase of from about 40 vol. % to about 70 vol. %, and a cubic body centered β crystal lattice phase of from about 30 vol. % to about 60 vol. %.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The ingot of claim 1 wherein the alloy comprises a hexagonal crystal lattice α phase of from about 45 vol. % to about 65 vol. %, and a cubic body centered β crystal lattice phase of from about 45 vol. % to about 60 vol. %.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A medical implant formed from the ingot of claim 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The medical implant of claim 12 which is in the form of a screw, pin, rod, bar, spring, coil, cable, staple, clip or plate.

### Claim 14

A method of forming an ingot which comprises forming a molten alloy comprising a substantially uniform admixture of from about 5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of niobium, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 3.5 wt. % of silicon, and from about 61.5 wt. % to about 94.5 wt. % of titanium, casting the molten alloy into a shape, and then cooling the shape into an ingot, the alloy having a hexagonal crystal lattice α phase of from about 20 vol % to about 70 vol %, and a cubic body centered β crystal lattice phase of from about 30 vol. % to about 80 vol. %, the ingot having an ultimate tensile strength of about 940 MPa or more, and a Young's modulus of about 150 GPa or less.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the alloy comprises from about 5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of niobium, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 3.5 wt. % of silicon, and the balance being titanium.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising the subsequent step of forming the ingot into a medical implant.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein the medical implant is in the form of a screw, pin, rod, bar, spring, coil, cable, staple, clip or plate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising the subsequent step of annealing the ingot.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 further comprising the subsequent step of annealing the medical implant.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the alloy has no more than 2 wt. % of nitrogen, no more than 2 wt. % of oxygen, and no more than 2 wt. % of carbon.