Prosthesis parts provided with a coating of a bio-active material, process of making same, and method of using them for bone replacement

• US 4,168,326 A
• Filed: 10/18/1976
• Issued: 09/18/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH (ACM Project Development Co.)
• Original Assignee: Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH (ACM Project Development Co.)
• Inventors: Broemer, Heinz, Hedrich, Friedhelm, Adam, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverberg, Sam
• Application Number:
  US05/733,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1.91, 3/1.9, 427/2
• US Class Current: 427/2.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30767 Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30037 differing in coefficient of thermal expansion or dila(ta)tion
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30929 having at least two superposed coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00011 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00203 containing alumina or aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00592 Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of ceramics or of ceramic-like compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00928 Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of glass or of glass-containing compounds, e.g. of bioglass
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00934 Coating made of enamel
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/30 Inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/306 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L27/303 - A61L27/32
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5022 with vitreous materials composition of vitreous glazes and enamels C03C; ceramic pigments C09C1/0009
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/86 Glazes; Cold glazes
• CPC Class Codes: C23D 5/00 Coating with enamels or vitreous layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/923 Bone

Abstract

Novel prosthesis parts of improved properties are obtained by providing a material as used for prostheses with an enamel or enamel-like coating and incorporating in said enamel layer, while in a viscous state, a bioactive material. Such prosthesis parts have a satisfactory adhesive strength and coefficient of expansion, are substantially free of pores, are highly corrosion resistant, and readily grow intimately and firmly together with the bone tissue without the use of bone cement.

Claims

1. A process for providing metallic or non-metallic prosthesis working pieces with a coating of a bio-active material, not requiring high temperature treatment of the bio-active material, which process consists essentially of the steps of

(a) providing the prosthesis working piece with at least one inorganic enamel or inorganic enamel-like carrier layer, said enamel or enamel-like material being compatible with the body;

(b) converting said carrier layer into a viscous state;

(c) incorporating the bio-active material particles into the viscous carrier layer to form a coating layer comprising a multitude of areas of bio-active material at least partially embedded into the carrier layer; and

(d) causing the carrier layer to solidify.

2. The process of claim 1, in which several carrier layers of different composition and/or coefficient of expansion are applied to the prosthesis working piece.

3. The process of claim 1, in which the bio-active material particles are sprayed onto the carrier layer by gas pressure means.

4. The process of claim 1, in which the bio-active material particles are pressed into the carrier layer by mechanical pressure means.

5. The process of claim 1, in which a glass ceramic material is used as bio-active material.

6. The process of claim 1, in which bio-glass is used as bio-active material.

7. The process of claim 5, in which the starting materials yielding the glass ceramic material are at least partly used as bio-active material and are incorporated into the enamel carrier layer.

8. The process of claim 6, in which the starting materials for forming bio-glass are at least partly used as bio-active material and are incorporated into the enamel carrier layer.

9. The process of claim 1, in which the bio-active material in finely comminuted form is incorporated into the enamel carrier layer.

10. The process of claim 1, in which the depth of penetration of the bio-active material particles into the enamel carrier layer is varied by varying the pressure applied to said bio-active material particles and/or by varying the temperature-controlled viscosity of the enamel carrier layer.

11. The process of claim 1, in which the enamel carrier layer is applied to the prosthesis working piece by a process known in enamel technology, while the bio-active material particles are incorporated into the carrier layer at the same time while it is not completely solidified.

12. The process of claim 11, in which the enamel carrier layer is applied to the prosthesis working piece by means of a flame-spraying process or a plasma-spraying process.

13. The process of claim 1, in which the enamel carrier layer is applied to the prosthesis working piece by means of a process employed in enamel technology or by means of the flame-spraying process or the plasma-spraying process and in which the prosthesis working piece provided with the enamel carrier layer is subsequently heated to impart to the enamel carrier layer the viscosity required for incorporating the bio-active material particles thereinto.

14. The process of claim 13, in which the prosthesis working piece provided with the enamel carrier layer is heated by means of a flame and/or by heat radiation or in a heating oven in order to impart to the enamel carrier layer the viscosity required for incorporating the bio-active material particles.

15. The process of claim 13, in which the enamel carrier layer provided on a metallic prosthesis working piece is heated by induction or by directly conducting the electric current therethrough in order to impart to said enamel carrier layer the viscosity required for incorporating the bio-active material particles thereinto.

16. The process of claim 1, in which the surface of the solidified enamel carrier layer with the bio-active material particles incorporated thereinto is ground and/or polished.