Three-dimensional prosthetic articles and methods for producing same

• US 6,008,430 A
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interpore Orthopaedics Inc. (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Eugene W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dinh X.
• Application Number:
  US08/987,986
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 623/11, 623/16, 623/18, 623/66
• US Class Current: 623/23.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0077 Special surfaces of prostheses, e.g. for improving ingrowth A61F2/30767 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/28 Bones joints A61F2/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30771 applied in original prostheses, e.g. holes or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3094 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30153 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30261 parallelepipedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30298 Parallelepipedal body made by spirally rolling up a sheet or a strip around itself
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30599 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/308 oblong
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30808 parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3092 having an open-celled or open-pored structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30957 using a positive or a negative model, e.g. moulds
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30968 Sintering
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0019 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0082 parallelepipedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 Nested prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00293 : containing a phosphorus-containing compound, e.g. apatite
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00365 : Proteins; Polypeptides; Degradation products thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00383 : Gelatin
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 : Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/148 : characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 28/00 : Producing nets or the like, e.g. meshes, latticesby knotting D04G
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 : Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/76 : otherwise than in a plane, e.g. in a tubular way

Abstract

A three-dimensional porous mesh structure is prepared from a two-dimensional sheet form having a unique arrangement of main and secondary troughs on a first surface, and openings extending therethrough. The arrangement of troughs and openings creates an elaborate matrix of pores when the two-dimensional sheet is formed into the three-dimensional porous mesh structure which emulates osteon-evacuated bone.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional prosthetic structure made from a non-woven porous mesh in sheet form, said mesh comprising:

a continuous sheet having a substantially uniform thickness between opposing sides;

a series of substantially parallel and linked main troughs extending in one horizontal direction along a first side of said sheet, said main troughs having a depth in said sheet that extends substantially into said sheet, said main troughs are spaced from adjacent main troughs by a distance approximately 1/2 a width of said main trough, said main troughs further linked to co-linear troughs by a first series of secondary shallow troughs;

one or more small openings extending through the bottom of each main trough to a second side of said sheet, said openings having a diameter that is approximately 1/3 the width of said main trough; and

a second series of secondary shallow troughs extending substantially perpendicular to and connecting said main troughs.

2. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 1, wherein the thickness of said sheet ranges between 200 to 2000 microns.

3. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 2 wherein the depth of said secondary troughs are approximately 1/2 the depth of said main troughs.

4. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 2 wherein said main troughs extend approximately 80 percent through said thickness of said sheet.

5. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 1 wherein said small openings have a diameter that is approximately equal to the width of said secondary troughs.

6. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 5 wherein said first series of secondary troughs extend substantially in parallel through said sheet.

7. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 6 wherein said second series of secondary troughs extend substantially parallel through said sheet.

8. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 1, wherein said porous three-dimensional body is formed by wrapping said mesh around a mandrel having a select shape characteristic, wherein said mesh is wrapped in multiple layers to form a network of three dimensional pores extending throughout said body.

9. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 1, wherein each said non-woven porous mesh is a two-dimensional sheet and wherein said two-dimensional sheets are stacked one above the other to form a multi-layered, three-dimensional structure.

10. The three-dimensional prosthetic structure of claim 1, wherein each said non-woven porous mesh is a two-dimensional sheet and wherein said two-dimensional sheet is wrapped onto itself to form a multi-layered, three-dimensional structure.