Patent ID: 6283997
Filing Date: 2001-09-04
Classification: A61F,A61L,B29C,B29K,B33Y,C04B,G03F,G05B,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for producing a ceramic composite bone implant having a porous network comprising:providing a photocurable ceramic dispersion comprising a photocurable polymer and a high volume percent ceramic composition of alumina, silica, zirconia, barium titanate or silicon nitrite or mixtures thereof, the dispersion having an free fluid surface;scanning the free fluid surface of the photocurable ceramic dispersion in a grid pattern with a laser to cure the photocurable polymer to produce a layer of photocured composition having a grid pattern;scanning the free fluid surface of the photocurable ceramic dispersion in a grid pattern with a laser to cure the photocurable polymer to produce a second layer of photocured composition having a grid pattern, the grid patterns of the first and second layers being offset to form a porous network;continuing to scan the free fluid surface of the photocurable ceramic dispersion in a grid pattern with a laser to cure subsequent layers of the photocurable polymer to produce subsequent layers of photocured composition with offset grid patterns;removing uncured polymer and dispersion from the composition; anddrying or post-polymerization using UV or thermally curing the composition to produce a porous composite bone implant material which is suitable as a bone implant material or a device for orthopaedic implantation.