Method of manufacturing antimicrobial implants of polyetheretherketone
AssigneeDiFusion Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJoseph J. Crudden, Derrick Johns
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Abstract
Methods of fabricating implantable medical devices, preferably with PEEK, having antimicrobial properties, are disclosed. The antimicrobial effect is produced by incorporating ceramic particles containing antimicrobial metal cations into molten PEEK resin, which is subsequently allowed to cool and set in its final shape achieved by injection molding, cutting and machining or other techniques.
Claims12
A method of making a load-bearing antimicrobial implant, comprising drying polyetheretherketone resin to a residual moisture content of less than 0.1% moisture by weight, heating said dried polyetheretherketone resin to a temperature effective to melt said resin, blending into said molten resin a metal zeolite that has been dried to a residual moisture content of less than 0.1% moisture by weight, cooling said blend, forming said blend into said implant, and roughening the surface of said implant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.