Patent ID: 9688004
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: A61L,B29C,C08J,C08K,C08L,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method of making a medical implant comprising antioxidant-blended non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals, wherein the method comprising the steps of: (i) blending polymeric material with an antioxidant in the absence of a supercritical fluid, thereby forming an antioxidant-blended polymeric material; (ii) consolidating the antioxidant-blended polymeric blend; (iii) irradiating the consolidated polymeric blend material with ionizing radiation at an elevated temperature that is above room temperature and below the melting point of the polymeric material, thereby forming the antioxidant-blended cross-linked, and non-oxidizing polymeric material containing detectable residual free radicals, wherein the consolidated polymeric blend material is irradiated with a dose ranging from about 25 kGy to about 1000 kGy; and (iv) machining the consolidated cross-linked polymeric blend material, thereby forming the medical implant.