Bendable Ti64 Implants via Grain Structure Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Titanium-alloy surgical implants, such as acetabular cages, are difficult to bend intra-operatively without losing structural integrity or cracking, due to their inherent rigidity, which hinders their ability to conform accurately to patient anatomy during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The use of Ti64 alloy with tailored heat treatment processes to modify the grain structure, increasing malleability while maintaining strength, allowing for bending angles of at least 50-degrees without structural failure, and employing additive manufacturing techniques like laser-activated powder bed fusion for rapid production and post-processing to enhance bendability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If titanium-alloy implants are made with high density and strength through conventional rapid prototyping, then structural integrity is improved, but malleability and ease of bending intra-operatively deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the grain structure of Ti64 alloy through controlled additive manufacturing parameters and post-processing heat treatment. This transforms the material's microstructure to achieve a unique combination of high strength and increased malleability, allowing the implant to be bent intra-operatively without compromising structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes Ti64 alloy (a composite material consisting of titanium, aluminum, and vanadium) with specifically engineered grain structures. The alloy composition and microstructure are optimized to provide both the strength required for structural integrity and the ductility needed for intra-operative bending and customization
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional rapid prototyping techniques are used to produce high-density metal parts, then manufacturing precision is improved, but post-formation treatment is required to achieve necessary mechanical properties, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating grain structure optimization and heat treatment parameters directly into the additive manufacturing process itself. This preliminary modification of the material microstructure during fabrication eliminates or reduces the need for extensive post-formation treatments, thereby achieving the necessary mechanical properties while maintaining manufacturing precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The approach enables titanium-alloy implants to be bent intra-operatively for precise anatomical fitting while maintaining structural integrity, improving surgical implantation by allowing for customized shaping without mechanical failure, thus enhancing the adaptability and effectiveness of surgical implants like acetabular cages.
Implementation Method 1
tailored heat treatment processes to modify the grain structure
Implementation Method 2
modify the grain structure, increasing malleability while maintaining strength
Implementation Method 3
additive manufacturing techniques like laser-activated powder bed fusion
Implementation Method 4
laser melting (or selective laser melting)
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable device includes a portion that is constructed such that at least a majority of the portion, as measured by volume, comprises Ti64 (Ti-6Al-4V) alloy. Additionally, the portion is bendable to a bend angle of at least about 50-degrees about a bend axis while maintaining structural integrity.