Methods and apparatus for coating bone particles using a mesh
Methods and apparatus for coating bone particles are provided. The methods and apparatus comprise providing a first mesh having a first set of openings to allow coating liquid and bone particles of a select size therethrough and bone particles larger than the select size to remain on the first mesh, the first mesh having a bottom portion; adding bone particles to the first mesh; and contacting the bone particles with coating liquid so as to allow bone particles larger than the first set of openings to remain on the first mesh so as to coat the bone particles.
1 . A plurality of coated porous ceramic granules comprising:
porous ceramic granules comprising hydroxyapatite in an amount of about 8 to about 22 wt. % and beta-tricalcium phosphate in an amount of about 78 to about 92 wt. %, the porous ceramic granules having micropores having an average diameter of about 50 to about 800 μm, and the porous ceramic granules having an average particle size of about 0.1 to 2.0 mm;
a mineral coating on each of the porous ceramic granules, the mineral coating being about 97 wt. % hydroxyapatite and about 3 wt. % octacalcium phosphate, comprising plate-like nano-apatite structures having an average size range from about 100 to about 200 nm, and having a porosity between about 20 and about 28 wt. %;
wherein the coated porous ceramic granule has a BET surface area from about 5 to about 10 m 2 /g,
wherein the mineral coating has a thickness from about 1 to about 200 nm, and is uniformly formed on the entire surface of each porous ceramic granule such that the coated porous ceramic granules have a larger BET surface area that is from about 1106% to about 1840% of that of the porous ceramic granules without the mineral coating.
2 . A method of coating porous ceramic granules according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing a first mesh having a first set of openings to allow coating liquid and porous ceramic granules of a select size therethrough and porous ceramic granules larger than the select size to remain on the first mesh;
adding porous ceramic granules to the first mesh; and
contacting the porous ceramic granules with the coating liquid so as to allow porous ceramic granules larger than the first set of openings to remain on the first mesh and porous ceramic granules smaller than the first set of openings and the coating liquid to pass therethrough so as to coat porous ceramic granules at least on the first mesh;
wherein the coated porous ceramic granules of claim 1 are formed.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the method comprises providing a second mesh having a second set of openings to allow the coating liquid and porous ceramic granules of a select size therethrough and porous ceramic granules larger than a select size to remain on the second mesh, the second set of openings of the second mesh being smaller in size than the first set of openings of the first mesh, the second mesh having a top portion, and the first mesh having a bottom portion, the bottom portion of the first mesh being stacked above the top portion of the second mesh so as to allow the coating liquid to pass through to the second mesh so as to coat the porous ceramic granules at least on the second mesh.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the contacting comprises adding the coating liquid to suspend the porous ceramic granules on the first mesh or on the second mesh or on both the first mesh and second mesh.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the contacting comprises immersing the first mesh and the second mesh in the coating liquid to suspend the porous ceramic granules on the first mesh or second mesh or on both the first mesh and second mesh.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the immersing of the first mesh and the second mesh occurs in a container filled with the coating liquid.
7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the coating liquid is added to a fill line forming a bath and the porous ceramic granules are below that fill line.
8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second set of openings allows the coating liquid and porous ceramic granules smaller than the select size therethrough to a housing or container configured to hold the mesh and hold any remaining coating liquid.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the housing or the container has an outlet configured to be coupled to a pump to replenish coating liquid.
10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the coating liquid contacting the porous ceramic granules forms a surface coating on the porous ceramic granules.
11 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising drying the porous ceramic granules remaining on the first mesh, or second mesh, or on both the first mesh and the second mesh in an oven.
12 . The method of claim 3 , wherein method further comprises stacking at least a third mesh, a fourth mesh, a fifth mesh, or a sixth mesh below a bottom of the second mesh.
13 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises providing an additional mesh having a set of openings having the same size as the openings of the first mesh, and contacting the additional mesh with the coating liquid and porous ceramic granules.
14 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first mesh is only one single mesh.