Applications of diffusion hardening techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9775713-B2
Application number	US-16152907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2007
Priority date	Jan 18, 2006
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A device, for example a medical implant, and a method of making the same, the device having a metal or metal alloy substrate, for example CoCr, and a diffusion hardened metallic surface, for example a plasma carburized surface, contacting a non-diffusion hardened surface or a diffusion hardened surface having a diffusion hardening species different from that of the opposing surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making an orthopedic implant comprising the steps of:
forming an orthopedic implant comprising one or more first components and one or more second components, said forming step comprises
forming said one or more first components from a first metal or metal alloy, each of said one or more first components having a first articulating surface: and
forming said one or more second components from a second metal or metal alloy, each of said one or more second components having a second articulating surface, wherein any of said first articulating surface of said one or more first components is configured to articulate against any of said second articulating surface of said one or more second components; and
forming a diffusion hardened metallic surface on said orthopedic implant by diffusion hardening, said step of diffusion hardening being performed with a diffusion hardening species selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, boron, and any combination thereof, said step of diffusion hardening performed according to step (a) or (b):
(a) diffusion hardening to form a diffusion hardened metallic surface on one and only one of said first and second articulating surfaces, wherein the non-diffusion hardened surface comprises a metal or metal alloy surface;
(b) diffusion hardening to form a diffusion hardened metallic surface on both of said first and second articulating surfaces wherein said first articulating surface is diffusion hardened with at least a first diffusion hardening species and said second articulating surface is diffusion hardened with at least a second diffusion hardening species and wherein said first diffusion hardening species is different from said second diffusion hardening species.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first metal or metal alloy is different from said second metal or metal alloy.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second metals or metal alloys are cobalt chrome.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of diffusion hardening comprises plasma hardening.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said orthopedic implant comprises a hip implant.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein one of said one or more first components and said one or more said second components is an acetabular component and the other of said one or more first components and said one or more second components is a femoral component.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of depositing a ceramic coating on one or both of said first and second articulating surfaces.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of depositing a diamond or diamond-like carbon coating on one or both of said first and second articulating surfaces.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of diffusion hardening to form a diffusion hardened metallic surface on both of said first and second articulating surfaces comprises forming a diffusion carburized and diffusion oxidized surface on said first articulating surface and forming a diffusion carburized surface on said second articulating surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) applies and, wherein one of said articulating surfaces is diffusion hardened with a diffusion hardening species that is not present as a diffusion hardening species in the other articulating surface.

11. A method of making an orthopedic implant comprising the steps of:
forming an orthopedic implant comprising a one or more first components and a one or more second components, said step comprises
forming said one or more first components from a first metal or metal alloy, each of said one or more first components having a first articulating surface;
forming said one or more second components from a second metal or metal alloy, each of said one or more second components having a second articulating surface, wherein any of said first articulating surface of said one or more first components is configured to articulate against any of said second articulating surface of said one or more second components; and
forming a diffusion hardened metallic surface on one and only one of said first and second articulating surfaces, wherein the non-diffusion hardened surface comprises a metal or metal alloy surface.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said first metal or metal alloy is different from said second metal or metal alloy.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said first and second metals or metal alloys are cobalt chrome.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said step of forming a diffusion hardened metallic surface comprises plasma hardening.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said orthopedic implant comprises forming a hip implant.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein one of said one or more first components and said one or more second components is an acetabular component and the other of said one or more first components and said one or more second components is a femoral component.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of depositing a ceramic coating on one or both of said first and second articulating surfaces.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of depositing a diamond or diamond-like carbon coating on one or both of said first and second articulating surfaces.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein said step of forming a diffusion hardened metallic surface comprises diffusion hardening performed with a diffusion hardening species selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and any combination thereof.

20. A method of making an orthopedic implant comprising the steps of:
forming an orthopedic implant comprising a one or more first components and a one or more second components, said forming step comprises
forming said one or more first components from a first metal or metal alloy, each of said one or more first components having a first articulating surface;
forming said one or more second components from a second metal or metal alloy, each of said one or more second components having a second articulating surface;
wherein any of said first articulating surface of said one or more first components is configured to articulate against any of said second articulating surface of said one or more second components;
forming a diffusion hardened metallic surface on said first articulating surface with a first diffusion hardening species; and
forming a diffusion hardened metallic surface on said second articulating surface with a second hardening species,
wherein said first diffusion hardening species is different from said second diffusion hardening species.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said first metal or metal alloy is different from said second metal or metal alloy.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein said first and second metals or metal alloys are cobalt chrome.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein said step of forming a diffusion hardened metallic surface comprises plasma hardening.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein said orthopedic implant comprises a hip implant.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein one of said one or more first components and said one or more second components is an acetabular component and the other of said one or more first components and said one or more second components is a femoral component.

26. The method of claim 20 , further comprising the step of depositing a ceramic coating on one or

Assignees

• Band Timothy J
• Forster Hamish
• Pawar Vivek D
• Salehi Abraham B
• Shea Jeffrey J
• Hunter Gordon B
• Jani Shilesh C
• Morrison Mark L
• Smith & Nephew Inc

Inventors

• Band Timothy J
• Forster Hamish
• Pawar Vivek D
• Salehi Abraham B
• Shea Jeffrey J
• Hunter Gordon B
• Jani Shilesh C
• Morrison Mark L

Classifications

• A61F2/3094

  Designing or manufacturing processes · CPC title

• A61F2/40

  for shoulders · CPC title

• A61F2310/00856

  Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of compounds based on metal nitrides · CPC title

• A61L27/306

  Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L27/303 - A61L27/32 · CPC title

• A61F2310/0088

  Coating made of titanium nitride · CPC title