Patent EA-001402-B1 (EA)
Title: Tetracarbon
Inventor: GUSEVA MLALVINA BORISOVNA
IPC: A61L27/30
Filed: 1996-12-18
Abstract: 1. A medical implant adapted for implantation within a mammal and having a tissue facing surface wherein at least a portion of said tissue facing surface has a non-turbostratic linear chain carbon coating comprising a plurality of linear carbon chains, each said carbon chain having an inner end adjacent to said tissue facing surface and is chemically bonded to said tissue facing surface of said medical implant and a carbon chain axis therebetween, said carbon chain axis lies along a line connecting said inner end and said outer end and wherein said carbon chain axis is oriented substantially perpendicular to said tissue facing surface of said medical implant. 2. The medical implant of claim 1 wherein said tissue facing surface is a biocompatible elastomer, wherein said elastomer comprises silicone rubber. 3. The medical implant of claim 1 or 2 wherein said carbon chains include at least one carbon atom having an, sp electronic state, said at least one carbon atom being chemically double bonded to two adjacent carbon atoms. 4. A substrate having a surface wherein at least a portion or said surface has a non-turbostratic linear chain carbon coating comprising a plurality of linear carbon chains each said carbon chain having an inner end adjacent to said substrate surface and is chemically bonded to said surface of said substrate wherein said carbon chain axis is defined as being a line connecting said inner end and said outer end or each said carbon chain and said carbon chain axis is oriented substantially perpendicular to said surface. 5. The substrate of claim 4 wherein said substrate surface is manufactured from the material selected from the group: elastomers, rubber, polymers, ceramics, metals, alloys, in particular titanium alloys. 6. The substrate of claim 4 wherein said substrate is selected from the following substrates: prostheses of soft tissues, including silicon implants; metal implants from titanium, stainless steel and other metals including rods for osteosynthesis and dental implants; polymer implants, including prostheses of inner ear bones; catheters, including catheters for tracheotomy; blood vessel's prostheses, seam materials and needles; synthetic crystalline lenses; contact lenses; contraceptive spirals; consumer goods from metals in contact with the skin, including wrist watches bracelets, spectacles rims and juwelry articles. 7. The substrate or claim 5 wherein said surface is a semiconductor. 8. A non-turbostratic linear chain carbon coating for a substrate surface comprising at least one layer consisting essentially of a plurality of liner carbon chains wherein each carbon chain is oriented substantially perpendicular to said surface adjacent to said substrate surface, said layer being further characterized by the fact that the plurality of linear carbon chains forming the layer are parallel to one another and densely packed in hexagonal structures with the distance between adjacent carbon chains being between 4.3-5. 03A. 9. A non-turbostratic linear chain carbon coating for a substrate surface comprising layers formed by densely packed carbon chains oriented substantially perpendicular to said substrate surface, the thickness of layers can be different for adjacent layers. 10. The coating of claim 8 or 9 wherein the layers are randomly shifted in the plane of the layer relative to each other layer. 11. The coating of claims 8 to 10 wherein hetero-atoms different from carbon are introduced in the carbon chains or therebetween. 12. The coating of claims 8 to 11 wherein the carbon chains are regularly bonded in adjacent layers, and/or there are breaks of the chains to linear fragments, and/or there are bends of the carbon chains; and/or the distances between the carbon chains are changed. 13. The coating of claims 8 to 12 wherein the last carbon atom in a carbon chain is bonded with an atom or ion different from carbon, preferably with oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, OH-. 14. A method for making a substrate having a coating of claims 8 to 13 comprising the steps of: a) mounting said substrate in a vacuum chamber; and  (b) subjecting a portion of the surface of said substrate to a flux of inert gas ions; then  (c) exposing said portion of said surface of said substrate to a plasma flux comprising carbon atoms. 15. The method of claim 14 wherein step (b) comprises evaporating carbon atoms from a graphite cathode in vacuum by a pulse arc discharge to form a carbon atom plasma. 16. The method of claim 14 or 15 wherein said carbon plasma is formed with the density of 5 x 10<12> - 1 x 10<14> cm<3> and a pulse arc discharge duration of 200 - 600 μs, and a repetition rate of 1 - 5 Hz. 17. The method of claim 13 or 16 wherein said flux of inert gas ions comprises a flow of ions having energy of 150 - 2000 eV, said flow being directed toward said substrate to intersect the carbon plasma flux at the substrate surface. 18. The method of manufacturing a substrate having a coating of claims 14 to17 wherein the pressure inside the vacuum chamber is in the range 1 x10<-1> x 10<-2> Pa. 19. The method of manufacturing a substrate having a coating of claims 14 to 18 wherein the gas is selected from argon, nitrogen, helium, neon or a mixture of gases comprising argon either nitrogen, either helium, either neon. 20. The method of manufacturing a substrate having a coating of claims 14 to 19 wherein the purity of a graphite cathode is higher then 99,99%. 21. The method of manufacturing a substrate having a coating of claims 14 to 19 wherein the temperature of a substrate during the coating process ranges between 0 and 200 degree C, for a substrate from silicon resin is preferably between 20 to 50 degree C. 22. An apparatus operable for coating a substrate said coating of claims 8 to 13 comprising: (a) a first vacuum chamber (1) having a carbon plasma flux opening and an ion beam opening in the wall thereof, said first vacuum chamber containing a substrate holder (2); and  (b) a second vacuum chamber (1A) containing: (i) a cathode of main discharge (5); (ii) an anode of main discharge (3); (iii) an ignition electrode (6); (iv) a cathode of auxiliary discharge (7) separated from the ignition electrode (6) by a dielectric spacer; and (v) a source of electrical power (10), said second vacuum chamber having a opening in gaseous communication with said carbon flux opening; (c) a third chamber (1B) adapted to provide an ion beam having an ion beam axis wherein said ion beam intersects said flux beam at said substrate holder (2). 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the cathode of main discharge (5) is cylindrical and is surrounded by a tubular anode of auxiliary discharge (4) with a gap therebetween. 24. The apparatus of claim 22 or 23 wherein the inner surface of the anode of the auxiliary discharge (4) is beveled inwardly at about 45 degree  to provide a surface which faces both the cathode of main discharge (5) and the ignition electrode (6). 25. The apparatus of claims 22 to 24 wherein the anode of main discharge (3) is formed from two parallel rings rigidly connected to one another by metal rods equally spaced around the perimeter of the rings. 26. The apparatus of claims 22 to 25 wherein the ignition electrode (6), dielectric spacer (8) and the cathode of the auxiliary discharge (7) are made as a laminate annulus or ring, rigidly connected to each other and placed between the anode of main discharge (3) and auxiliary discharge (4). 27. The apparatus of claims 22 to 26 wherein the substrate holder (2) being adapted to provide planetary rotation of a substrate around a vertical axis and preferably is electrically isolated from the substrate. 28. The apparatus of claims 22 to 27 wherein an unductance (12) is connected to cathode of main discharge. 29. A biocompatible article comprising a substrate having a surface wherein said surface has a non-turbostratic liner chain carbon coating thereon made according to any claim 15 to 22.