Method for drug loading hydroxyapatite coated implant surfaces

1. A method for loading a hydroxyapatite coated implant with a therapeutic agent, comprising the steps of:

providing an implant;

applying a hydroxyapatite coating on a surface of the implant;

contacting the hydroxyapatite coated implant with a solution including the therapeutic agent;

heating the hydroxyapatite coated implant and solution to a temperature of about 60° C. to about 100° C.; and

applying pressure to the hydroxyapatite coated implant and solution of about 2 bar to about 10 bar to load the hydroxyapatite coated implant with the therapeutic agent for improved therapeutic agent delivery at an implant site.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the implant is a device selected from the group consisting of fixation pins, orthopedic devices, dental implants, stents, drug delivery devices, sheets, films, meshes, soft tissue implants, implantable electrodes, implantable sensors, drug delivery pumps, tissue barriers and shunts.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the implant includes a surface metal coating selected from the group consisting of TiO2, TiO, TiCrO 2 , TiO 3 , Ti 3 O 5 , SiO 2 , MgO 2 , AlO 2 , and CrO 2 .

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the implant has a base metal of Titanium and Stainless Steel alloys and a surface coating selected from the group of TiO2, TiO, TiCrO 2 , Ti 2 O 3 , Ti 2 O 5 , SiO 2 , MgO 2 , AlO 2 , and CrO 2 .

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the step of coating the implant with the surface coating prior to applying the hydroxyapatite coating.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of antibiotics, vitamins, chemotherapy drugs, bisphosphonates, strontium-ranelate, PTH, osteoporotic drugs, growth factors, and a combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the implant is a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, tantalum, platinum-iridium alloy, gold, magnesium, stainless steel, chromo-cobalt alloy, ceramics, biocompatible plastics or polymers and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydroxyapatite coating is grown biomimetically.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the biomimetic hydroxyapatite coating deposited is of about 1 μm to about 10 μm.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is an ion substituted hydroxyapatite.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the hydroxyapatite coating deposited is of about 1 μm to about 10 μm.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of contacting the hydroxyapatite coated implant with the solution uses a solution of 20 mg or greater of therapeutic agent per ml of solution.

13. The method of according to claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent has a penetration depth of about 0.5 μm to about 8 μm.

14. A method for loading a hydroxyapatite coated implant with a therapeutic agent, comprising:

providing an implant;

coating the implant with a metal selected from the group consisting of TiO 2 , TiO, TiCrO 2 , Ti 2 O 3 , Ti 3 O 5 , SiO 2 , MgO 2 , AlO 2 , and CrO 2 ;

applying a hydroxyapatite coating on a surface of the implant;

thereafter placing the hydroxyapatite coated implant in a solution including the therapeutic agent;

heating the hydroxyapatite coated implant and the solution to a temperature of about 60° C. to about 100° C.; and

applying pressure to the hydroxyapatite coated implant and solution of about 2 bar to about 10 bar to load the hydroxyapatite coated implant with the therapeutic agent for improved therapeutic agent delivery at an implant site; and

thereafter removing the implant from the solution after about 5 minutes.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the implant is a device selected from the group consisting of fixation pins, orthopedic devices, dental implants, stents, drug delivery devices, sheets, films, meshes, soft tissue implants, implantable electrodes, implantable sensors, drug delivery pumps, tissue barriers and shunts.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of antibiotics, vitamins, chemotherapy drugs, bisphosphonates, strontium-ranelate, PTH, osteoporotic drugs, growth factors, and a combination thereof.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the implant is a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, tantalum, platinum-iridium alloy, gold, magnesium, stainless steel, chromo-cobalt alloy, ceramics, biocompatible plastics or polymers and combinations thereof.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the hydroxyapatite coating is grown biomimetically.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the thickness of the biomimetic hydroxyapatite coating deposited is of about 1 μm to about 10 μm.

20. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the hydroxyapatite coating contains ions selected from the group consisting of calcium, phosphates, fluorine, strontium, silicon, and magnesium.

21. A method for loading a hydroxyapatite coated implant with a therapeutic agent, comprising the steps of:

providing an implant;

applying a hydroxyapatite coating on a surface of the implant;

contacting the hydroxyapatite coated implant with a solution including the therapeutic agent;

heating the hydroxyapatite coated implant and solution to a temperature of about 60° C. to about 100° C.; and

applying pressure to the hydroxyapatite coated implant and solution of about 2 bar to about 10 bar to load the hydroxyapatite coated implant with the therapeutic agent for improved therapeutic agent delivery at an implant site; and

thereafter removing the implant from the solution after about 5 minutes.