Mold and process for producing porous devices

• US 10,226,883 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvasive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vertera, Inc. (Nuvasive Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chang, Wei-Hsiang, Laffoon, Stephen Lee, Lee, Christopher S. D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US15/653,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20170312949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/00 Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/04 using movable moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/58 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/202 comprising elimination of a solid or a liquid ingredient
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7532 Artificial members, protheses
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2201/0446 Elimination of NaCl only
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2205/05 Open cells, i.e. more than 50% of the pores are open
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2300/22 Thermoplastic resins
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2371/00 Characterised by the use of polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/26 by elimination of a solid phase from a macromolecular composition or article, e.g. leaching out

Abstract

In general, in various embodiments, the present disclosure is directed systems and methods for producing a porous surface from a solid piece of polymer. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to systems that include a track assembly, mold assembly, press assembly, and methods for using the same for producing a porous surface from a solid piece of polymer. In some embodiments, the present systems and methods are directed to processing a polymer at a temperature below a melting point of the polymer to produce a solid piece of polymer with an integrated a porous surface.

Claims

1. A mold for processing a material, the mold comprising a top surface and a bottom surface,

wherein the mold defines a void for receiving porogen and a piece of thermoplastic material that extends from the top surface towards the bottom surface to form a non-through cavity with a cavity surface that is substantially parallel to the bottom surface, wherein the non-through cavity defines a first curved trapezoidal shape,

wherein a protrusion extends from the cavity surface towards the top surface, the protrusion in a second curved trapezoidal shape;

wherein the void extends from the top surface at least halfway through the mold towards the bottom surface; and

a static weight for applying pressure to the piece of thermoplastic material, wherein;

the mold comprises one or more pegs; and

the static weight is received by the mold via the one or more pegs.

2. The mold of claim 1, wherein the one or more pegs are between 1 centimeters and 15 centimeters in length.

3. The mold of claim 1, wherein the first curved trapezoidal shape is substantially the same as the second curved trapezoidal shape.

4. The mold of claim 3, wherein the first curved trapezoidal shape is of a larger scale than the second curved trapezoidal shape.

5. The mold of claim 1, wherein the first curved trapezoidal shape comprises a shape of a lumbar spine cage.

6. The mold of claim 1, wherein the first curved trapezoidal shape comprises a shape of a cervical spinal cage.

7. The mold of claim 1, wherein the void extends 1 centimeter from the top surface through the mold towards the bottom surface.

8. The mold of claim 1, wherein the mold comprises a length of at least 15 centimeters, a width of at least 15 centimeters, and a height of at least 2 centimeters.

9. The mold of claim 1, wherein the mold comprises a mold outer body and a mold insert, wherein the mold outer body defines an opening and the mold insert is of the same shape as the opening and compatibly nests within the opening.

10. A mold for processing a material, the mold comprising:

an outer mold body defining an opening of receiving a mold insert, wherein the outer mold body comprises one or more pegs;

the mold insert defining a void for receiving a porogen and a piece of thermoplastic material, wherein the void comprises a non-through cavity of a particular shape; and

a static weight for applying pressure to the piece of thermoplastic material, wherein the static weight comprises one or more holes corresponding to the one or more pegs and wherein the static weight is received by the outer mold body via the one or more pegs.

11. The mold of claim 10, wherein the particular shape of the non-through cavity comprises a shape of a lumbar spinal cage or a cervical spinal cage.

12. The mold of claim 11, wherein the mold insert forms a protrusion within a perimeter of the non-through cavity.

13. The mold of claim 10, wherein the non-through cavity comprises an outer perimeter with four rounded corners and at least one curved portion.

14. The mold of claim 13, wherein the non-through cavity further comprises an inner perimeter, wherein the outer perimeter is shaped to receive an outer surface of a medical device and the inner perimeter is shaped to receive an inner surface of the medical device.

15. The mold of claim 14, wherein the non-through cavity comprises a depth of 1 centimeter.

16. The mold of claim 15, wherein the outer mold body comprises a length of at least 15 centimeters, a width of at least 15 centimeters, and a height of at least 2 centimeters.

17. The mold of claim 16, wherein the one or more pegs are between 1 centimeters and 15 centimeters in length.

18. The mold of claim 17, wherein the mold insert is of the same shape as the opening such that the mold insert compatibly nests within the opening.