Laser based metal deposition (LBMD) of implant structures
View Patent ↗A method is provided for depositing a hard wear resistant surface onto a porous or non-porous base material of a medical implant. The wear resistant surface of the medical implant device may be formed by a Laser Based Metal Deposition (LBMD) method such as Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS). The wear resistant surface may include a blend of multiple different biocompatible materials. Further, functionally graded layers of biocompatible materials may be used to form the wear resistant surface. Usage of a porous material for the base may promote bone ingrowth to allow the implant to fuse strongly with the bone of a host patient. The hard wear resistant surface provides device longevity, particularly when applied to bearing surfaces such as artificial joint bearing surfaces or a dental implant bearing surfaces.
1. A medical implant device comprising:
a metal base structure; and
an articulating bearing material formed onto said metal base structure by Laser Based Metal Deposition (LBMD) in an inert gas atmosphere;
wherein said articulating bearing material comprises functionally graded layers of biocompatible materials;
wherein the articulating bearing material comprises a blend of biocompatible materials.
2. A device as in claim 1 , wherein said articulating bearing material articulates with a second medical implant device.
3. A device as in claim 1 , wherein said metal base structure comprises a base shaped to be secured to a body part of a patient.
4. A device as in claim 1 , wherein said metal base structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Cobalt-Chrome, Tantalum, Platinum, Zirconium, Niobium, stainless steel, and alloys thereof.
5. A device as in claim 1 , wherein said articulating bearing material comprises a first material selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium alloys, Cobalt-Chrome, Tantalum, Platinum, Zirconium, Niobium, stainless steel, and any alloys thereof.
6. A device as in claim 5 , wherein said articulating bearing material further comprises a second material which is dissimilar from said first material, wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium Carbide, other carbides, borides, nitrides, and intermetallics.
7. A device as in claim 1 , wherein said articulating bearing material has a hardness greater than a hardness of said metal base structure.
8. A method for constructing a medical implant device, the method comprising:
forming a structure from a base metal; and
depositing an articulating bearing material onto a surface of the base metal using Laser Based Metal Deposition (LBMD) in an inert gas atmosphere,
wherein said articulating bearing material comprises functionally graded layers of biocompatible material;
wherein said articulating bearing material comprises a blend of biocompatible materials.
9. A method as in claim 8 , wherein said articulating bearing material articulates with a second medical implant device.
10. A method as in claim 8 , wherein said structure comprises a base shaped to be secured to a body part of a patient.
11. A method as in claim 8 , wherein said articulating bearing material comprises a first material selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium alloys, Cobalt-Chrome, Tantalum, Platinum, Zirconium, Niobium, stainless steel, and any alloys thereof.
12. A method as in claim 11 , wherein said articulating bearing material further comprises a second material which is dissimilar from said first material, wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium Carbide, other carbides, borides, nitrides, and intermetallics.
13. A method as in claim 8 , wherein said articulating bearing material has a hardness greater than a hardness of said structure.
14. A method as in claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises applying said articulating bearing material as a powder and heating said powder with a laser.
15. A method as in claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises applying said articulating bearing material as a foil and heating said foil with a laser.
16. A method as in claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises applying said articulating bearing material as a wire and heating said wire with a laser.
17. A method as in claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises heating said articulating bearing material with a high power Nd YAG laser.
18. The method of claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS).
19. The method of claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using an electron beam metal deposition process.
20. The method of claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using a plasma energy source.
21. The method of claim 8 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using a welding based cladding process.
22. A medical implant device comprising:
a metal base structure; and
an articulating bearing material formed onto said metal base structure by Laser Based Metal Deposition (LBMD) in an inert gas atmosphere;
wherein said articulating bearing material comprises functionally graded layers of biocompatible materials.
23. A device as in claim 22 , wherein said articulating bearing material articulates with a second medical implant device.
24. A device as in claim 22 , wherein said metal base structure comprises a base shaped to be secured to a body part of a patient.
25. A device as in claim 22 , wherein said metal base structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Cobalt-Chrome, Tantalum, Platinum, Zirconium, Niobium, stainless steel, and alloys thereof.
26. A device as in claim 22 , wherein said articulating bearing material comprises a first material selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium alloys, Cobalt-Chrome, Tantalum, Platinum, Zirconium, Niobium, stainless steel, and any alloys thereof.
27. A device as in claim 26 , wherein a concentration of said first material in each functionally graded layer ranges from 10 to 90 percent.
28. A device as in claim 26 , wherein said articulating bearing material further comprises a second material which is dissimilar from said first material, wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium Carbide, other carbides, borides, nitrides, and intermetallics.
29. A device as in claim 28 , wherein a concentration of said second material in each functionally graded layer ranges from 10 to 90 percent.
30. A device as in claim 22 , wherein said articulating bearing material has a hardness greater than a hardness of the metal base structure.
31. A device as in claim 22 , wherein a number of functionally graded layers of articulating bearing material ranges from one to ten.
32. A device as in claim 22 , wherein a thickness of each functionally graded layer of articulating bearing material does not equal a thickness of each other functionally graded layer.
33. A method for constructing a medical implant device, the method comprising:
forming a structure from a base metal; and
depositing an articulating bearing material onto a surface of said base metal using Laser Based Metal Deposition (LBMD) in an inert gas atmosphere, wherein said articulating bearing material comprises functionally graded layers of biocompatible materials.
34. A method as in claim 33 , wherein said articulating bearing material articulates with a second medical implant device.
35. A method as in claim 33 , wherein said metal base structure is shaped to be secured to a body part of a patient.
36. A method as in claim 33 , wherein said metal base structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Cobalt-Chrome, Tantalum, Platinum, Zirconium, Niobium, stainless steel and alloys thereof.
37. A method as in claim 36 , wherein said articulating bearing material comprises a first material selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium alloys, Cobalt-Chrome, Tantalum, Platinum, Zirconium, Niobium, stainless steel, and any alloys thereof.
38. A method as in claim 37 , wherein a concentration of said first material in each functionally graded layer ranges from 10 to 90 percent.
39. A method as in claim 37 , wherein said articulating bearing material further comprises a second material which is dissimilar from said first material, wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of: Titanium, Titanium Carbide, other carbides, borides, nitrides, and intermetallics.
40. A method as in claim 39 , wherein a concentration of said second material in each functionally graded layer ranges from 10 to 90 percent.
41. A method as in claim 33 , wherein said articulating bearing material has a hardness greater than a hardness of the metal base structure.
42. A method as in claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material comprises applying said articulating bearing material in a number of functionally graded layers ranging from one to ten.
43. A method as in claim 33 , wherein a thickness of each functionally graded layer of articulating bearing material deposited does not equal a thickness of each other functionally graded layer deposited.
44. A method as in claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises applying said articulating bearing material as a powder and heating said powder with a laser.
45. A method as in claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises applying said articulating bearing material as a foil and heating said foil with a laser.
46. A method as in claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises applying said articulating bearing material as a wire and heating said wire with a laser.
47. A method as in claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises heating said articulating bearing material with a high power Nd YAG laser.
48. The method of claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS).
49. The method of claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using an electron beam metal deposition process.
50. The method of claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using a plasma energy source.
51. The method of claim 33 , wherein depositing said articulating bearing material onto said surface comprises using a welding based cladding process.