Antimicrobial implant

• US 8,147,861 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Liverpool
• Original Assignee: Howmedica Osteonics Corp. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Eric, Wang, Aiguo
• Primary Examiner(s): Foley, Shanon A
• Application Number:
  US11/504,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20080050412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 424/423
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/104 Silver, e.g. silver sulfadiazine
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/404 Biocides, antimicrobial agents, antiseptic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/54 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L27/227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A method of building an orthopedic implant including the steps of mixing a powder having antimicrobial properties with a biocompatible powder to form a mixture. Next, the mixture is deposited on top of a substrate. The substrate may be part of the finished product or only a work platform. The mixture layer is then selectively melted.

Claims

1. A method of building an orthopedic implant comprising the steps of:

mixing a first powder having antimicrobial properties with a biocompatible second powder to form a mixture;

depositing a layer of the mixture on top of a substrate; and

selectively melting the mixture layer,

wherein at least the second powder is metallic.

2. The method of claim 1,

further comprising depositing at least one additional layer of mixture and selectively melting the at least one additional layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first powder includes silver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the silver comprises approximately between 0.05% to 9.0% of the mixture.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of depositing at least one additional layer of the mixture and selectively melting the at least one additional layer of the mixture are repeated until an orthopedic implant is built.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising depositing at least one layer of biocompatible powder onto either the substrate or a previous layer of the mixture and selectively melting the at least one layer of biocompatible powder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is part of a finished product.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the deposited layers of mixture are selectively melted to obtain a component having a predetermined porosity at predetermined locations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first powder is metallic.

10. A method of building an orthopedic implant comprising the steps of:

mixing a first powder having antimicrobial properties with a biocompatible second powder to form a mixture, the first and second powders being metallic;

depositing a layer of the mixture on top of a substrate; and

selectively melting the mixture layer through the use of a laser.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising depositing at least one additional layer of mixture and selectively melting the at least one additional layer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first powder includes silver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the silver comprises approximately between 0.05% to 9.0% of the mixture.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of depositing at least one additional layer of the mixture and selectively melting the at least one additional layer of the mixture repeated until an orthopedic implant is built.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising depositing at least one layer of biocompatible powder onto either the substrate or a previous layer of the mixture and selectively melting the at least one layer of biocompatible powder.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is part of a finished product.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the deposited layers of mixture are selectively melted to obtain a component having a predetermined porosity at predetermined locations.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the selective melting step includes making multiple scans with the laser.

19. A method of building an orthopedic implant comprising the steps of:

mixing a first powder having antimicrobial properties with a biocompatible second powder to form a mixture, at least the second powder being metallic;

depositing a layer of the mixture on top of a substrate; and

selectively melting the mixture layer by making multiple scans with a laser.

20. The method claim 19, wherein the first powder is metallic.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising depositing at least one additional layer of mixture and selectively melting the at least one additional layer.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first powder includes silver.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the silver comprises approximately between 0.05% to 9.0% of the mixture.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the steps of depositing at least one additional layer of the mixture and selectively melting the at least one additional layer of the mixture are repeated until an orthopedic implant is built.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising depositing at least one layer of biocompatible powder onto either the substrate or a previous layer of the mixture and selectively melting the at least one layer of biocompatible powder.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the substrate is part of a finished product.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the deposited layers of mixture are selectively melted to obtain a component having a predetermined porosity at predetermined locations.