Antimicrobial provision of titanium and titanium alloys with silver

1. A method for the antimicrobial provision of implant surfaces with silver, wherein the implant is made of titanium or titanium alloy, the method comprising the step of:

implanting silver ions into a titanium or titanium alloy surface with a penetration depth between 0.5 and 2 micrometers by accelerating the silver ions onto the titanium or titanium alloy surface and thereafter precipitating silver onto a titanium or titanium alloy implant surface in a coating having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.2 micrometers by anodizing the implant surface in the presence of an electrolyte comprising:

a silver-yielding substance and a reducing agent, wherein the silver is reduced at least partially from silver ions by the reducing agent so that the implant is configured to deliver silver ions in a defined manner over a particular period of time.

2. The method according to claim 1 , in which the silver-yielding substance comprises a silver salt.

3. The method according to claim 2 , in which the silver salt comprises silver nitrate.

4. The method according to claim 1 , in which the reducing agent comprises sodium borohydride.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising upon anodizing, adding a solution to the electrolyte which has a concentration of 1×10 −4 M to 1×10 −2 M, silver nitrate and a concentration of 2×10 −4 M to 2×10 −2 M, sodium borohydride.

6. The method according to claim 1 , in which silver ions are reduced and are incorporated before precipitation as nanoparticles into the anodizing layer of the implant surface or an oxide layer.

7. A method for the antimicrobial provision of implant surfaces with silver, wherein the implant is made of titanium or titanium alloy, the method comprising the steps of:

implanting silver ions in a titanium or titanium alloy implant surface by accelerating silver ions onto the surface of the titanium or titanium alloy and thereafter

anodizing the implant surface in a silver containing substance and electrolyte solution so as to provide a first layer with a first thickness and a second layer with a second thickness, both layers including silver ions so that the implant is configured to release silver ions in a controlled manner over a period of at least 10 days.

8. The method according to claim 7 , in which parameters of a silver implantation are selected so that a penetration depth of the silver ions lies between 0.5 and 2 micrometers.

9. A method for the antimicrobial provision of implant surfaces with silver, wherein the implant is made of titanium or titanium alloy, the method comprising the step of:

producing and accelerating silver ions into a surface of the titanium or titanium alloy implant in a vacuum chamber so as to implant silver ions at a depth lying between 0.5 and 2 microns below the surface;

thereafter anodizing the implant surface in the presence of an electrolyte comprising a silver-yielding substance and a reducing agent, wherein the silver is reduced at least partially from silver ions by the reducing agent so as to diffuse silver ions up to a depth between 5 and 10 micrometers so that the implant is configured to release silver ions in a controlled manner over a period of at least 10 days.

10. The method according to claim 9 , in which the reducing agent comprises sodium borohydride.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising upon anodizing, adding a solution to the electrolyte which has a concentration of 1×10 −4 M to 1×10 −2 M, silver nitrate and a concentration of 2×10 −4 M to 2×10 −2 M, sodium borohydride.

12. The method according to claim 7 further comprising upon anodizing, adding a solution to the electrolyte which has a concentration of 1×10 −4 M to 1×10 −2 M, silver nitrate and a concentration of 2×10 −4 M to 2×10 −2 M, sodium borohydride.