Patent ID: 7687098

Claim:
A method for fabricating a substitute component for a bone, the method comprising: (i) providing a combined solution in at least one chamber, the combined solution comprising: distilled water, a first aqueous solution of calcium chloride, and a second aqueous solution, the second aqueous solution chosen from the group consisting of: an aqueous solution of hydrogen phosphate and an aqueous solution of hydrogen carbonate, wherein each of the distilled water, first aqueous solution and second aqueous solution includes particles having a diameter in a range between 500 nanometers (nm) and 20 micrometers (μm) at introduction into the combined solution; (ii) allowing the combined solution to chemically react and form chemical precipitates in the chamber, wherein a selected pressure is maintained within the chamber and heat is applied to the chamber to promote a chemical reaction; (iii) allowing the chemical precipitate to deposit onto a substrate, thereby forming a porous structure on the substrate, the porous structure having different selected thicknesses in at least two different regions of the substrate, and wherein the substrate has a selected shape and is maintained in the at least one chamber within a selected pH range and within a selected temperature range; and (iv) applying substantially isostatic pressure to the porous structure to form at least one layer of a substitute bone component.