초록 ▼

A new composition and medical implant made there from comprises a thick diffusion hardened zone, and layered ceramic surface. Orthopedic implants comprising the new composition, methods of making the new composition, and methods of making orthopedic implants comprising the new composition are disclo

A new composition and medical implant made there from comprises a thick diffusion hardened zone, and layered ceramic surface. Orthopedic implants comprising the new composition, methods of making the new composition, and methods of making orthopedic implants comprising the new composition are disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of making a layered ceramic medical implant comprising the steps of: forming said medical implant of zirconium or zirconium alloy; andforming a multi-layered diffusion hardened zone in said medical implant beneath a multi-layered ceramic coating, said multi-layered ceramic coating includ

1. A method of making a layered ceramic medical implant comprising the steps of: forming said medical implant of zirconium or zirconium alloy; andforming a multi-layered diffusion hardened zone in said medical implant beneath a multi-layered ceramic coating, said multi-layered ceramic coating including at least a first ceramic layer and a second ceramic layer, the first ceramic layer having a composition that is different than the second ceramic layer, said step of forming said multi-layered diffusion hardened zone and said multi-layered ceramic coating including: treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes, andthereafter treating said medical implant under a reactive gas at a temperature of 500 to 700° C. to diffuse at least a portion of the one or more ceramic-forming species into the zirconium or zirconium alloy, the reactive gas being different than the one or more ceramic-forming species. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes, and thereafter treating said implant under a reactive gas at a temperature of 500 to 700° C. are repeated. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes is performed for between 5 minutes and 12 hours. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of thereafter treating said medical implant under a reactive gas at a temperature of 500 to 700° C. is performed for between 15 minutes to 30 hours. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of thereafter treating said medical implant under a reactive gas is carried out in nitrogen. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of thereafter treating said medical implant under a reactive gas is carried out in methane. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. is carried out by placing said medical implant in a solid reactive mixture. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes is carried out in a nitrogen atmosphere. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes is carried out in a nitrogen and argon mixture. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein, the step of treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes is carried out in a methane and nitrogen mixture. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said reactive gas is present at a partial pressure of from 10−4 to 760 Torr. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said reactive gas is present at a partial pressure from 0.05 to 500 Torr. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of treating said medical implant in the presence of one or more ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes and said step of thereafter treating said medical implant under a reactive gas at a temperature of 500 to 700° C. comprise treating said medical implant with a diffusion hardening species selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, boron, carbon, and any combination thereof. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising subjecting the medical implant to surface preparation techniques to form adherent oxide. 15. A method of making a layered ceramic medical implant comprising the steps of: forming said medical implant of zirconium or zirconium alloy;treating said implant in the presence of ceramic-forming species at temperature of 500 to 1000° C. for greater than 2 minutes; and, thereafter treating said implant under a reactive gas at a temperature of 500 to 1000° C.; andoxidizing a Zirconium-2.5 wt % niobium alloy sample in a convection furnace in air at 635° C. for 110 minutes, placing the sample in a vacuum furnace and controlling the partial pressure of nitrogen, pumping the pressure of the furnace under 10−4 Torr, heating the sample to 685° C. in approximately 1 hour, introducing high purity nitrogen gas and maintaining the partial pressure between 400 to 500 mTorr, maintaining the sample under an atmosphere of nitrogen at a temperature of 685° C. for 7.5 hours, cooling the sample to room temperature under nitrogen atmosphere in 30 minutes; and sectioning the sample and evaluating the sample using metallographic techniques. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ceramic layer comprises the zirconium or zirconium alloy and one of the one or more of the ceramic-forming species, and the second ceramic layer comprises zirconium or zirconium alloy and two of the one or more of the ceramic-forming species. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming said multi-layered diffusion hardened zone and said multi-layered ceramic coating further includes forming a first layer and a second layer of the multi-layered diffusion hardened zone. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of forming said multi-layered diffusion hardened zone and said multi-layered ceramic coating further includes forming a third ceramic layer of the multi-layered ceramic coating at a surface of the medical implant, the third ceramic layer comprising nitrogen and zirconium or zirconium alloy.