US5383934A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for ion beam treating orthopaedic implant components
Assignee: Implant Sciences Corp
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Filing: 1993-09-13
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Granted: 1995-01-24
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Expires: 2013-09-13
Abstract
Abstract A method is disclosed for ion beam coating orthopaedic parts by ion implanting the parts with zirconium ions while the parts are immersed in an oxygen-containing background gas. A highly adherent surface layer of zirconium oxide is formed which provides a low friction, low wear graded interface for the articulating surface. The graded interface is characterized by a blackish color and a transition between pure zirconia and pure substrate material that extends over a thickness of hundreds of Angstroms. In an alternative embodiment, the thickness of the zirconia coating may be increased by also adding a simultaneous evaporation of zirconium metal on the parts.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony J. Armini
- 👤 Stephen N. Bunker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 12:53
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61L; A61L27/00; A61L27/28; A61L27/30; A61L27/306; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/30767; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/08; C23C14/083; C23C14/22; C23C14/48; C23C14/50; C23C14/505; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00831; A61B2017/0084; A61B2017/00845; A61F2/3094; A61F2/38; A61F2/3859; A61F2/32; A61F2/36; A61F2/3609; A61F2002/3611
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A process for ion beam treating a metallic orthopaedic implant component to form a zirconium oxide graded interface layer between the metallic component and a subsequently applied zirconium oxide coating, comprising: immersing the implant component in an oxygen containing gas at a pressure between 5×10 -6 and 1×10 -3 Torr; providing an ion beam of zirconium to the immersed component; and providing a source of zirconium vapor to the immersed component to form the interface layer of ion implanted zirconium oxide varying between the composition of pure metallic component material from beneath the surface of said metallic component to pure zirconium oxide on the surface of said metallic component.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A process for ion beam treating a metallic orthopaedic implant component to form a zirconium oxide graded interface layer between the metallic component and a subsequently applied zirconium oxide coating, comprising: immersing the implant component in an oxygen containing gas at a pressure between 5×10 -6 and 1×10 -3 Torr; providing an ion beam of zirconium to the immersed component; and providing a source of zirconium vapor to the immersed component to form the interface layer of ion implanted zirconium oxide varying between the composition of pure metallic component material from beneath the surface of said metallic component to pure zirconium oxide on the surface of said metallic component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The process of claim 1 further including selecting a deposition rate per unit area for the zirconium vapor during the formation of the graded interface layer which substantially equals the rate of loss of the metallic component caused by zirconium ion beam sputtering.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claim 1 further including selecting a dose of zirconium ions to form a blackish colored zirconium oxide graded interface layer that consists essentially of zirconium atoms from the ion beam.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The process of claim 3 further including selecting a deposition rate per unit area for the zirconium vapor which exceeds the rate of loss of the metallic component caused by zirconium ion beam sputtering in order to form a coating of zirconium oxide over the previously formed blackish zirconium oxide graded interface layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 in which the immersed component is a femoral hip ball or femoral knee prosthesis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1 in which the immersed component is composed of an alloy consisting essentially of cobalt and chromium, or titanium, or stainless steel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1 in which said oxygen containing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, ozone, water vapor, and hydrogen peroxide vapor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 in which the zirconium ion beam has an energy of between 20 keV and 400 keV.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 in which the zirconium ion beam delivers a total ion dose of between 5×10 16 and 5×10 18 ions/cm 2 to the immersed component.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 in which the source of the zirconium vapor, which forms a surface coating of zirconium oxide, is provided by evaporation, sputtering, or arc discharge.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 1 further including maintaining the immersed component at a temperature in the ion beam from 25° C. to 600° C.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 further including simultaneously moving the component relative to the ion beam about two transverse axes during implantation to create a uniform graded interface layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 3 in which the blackish zirconium oxide graded interface layer is from 50 to 5000Å thick.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The ion beam treated orthopaedic implant component made by the process of claim 1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-01-23 | 1998-07-25 | 1999-01-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-01-23 | 2002-07-25 | 2003-01-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-01-23 | 2006-07-25 | 2007-01-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |