Biodegradable Polymer-Bioceramics Composite Implant with Continuous Pores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implant materials face challenges such as brittleness, difficulty in matching complex bone shapes, prolonged absorption times, and inadequate bioactivity, particularly in achieving uniform bioceramics distribution and pore size for effective bone tissue reconstruction and fixation.
Innovation Solution
Development of an organic-inorganic complex porous article with uniformly dispersed bioactive bioceramics powder in a biodegradable and bioabsorbable polymer, featuring continuous pores and high bioceramics content, produced through a method involving compression-molding and solvent removal, allowing for controlled pore size and distribution, and integration with other biodegradable members for specific clinical applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If porous ceramics are used as implant material, then mechanical strength is improved, but brittleness increases and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite porous article combining biodegradable polymer matrix with bioceramics powder particles. The polymer provides toughness and flexibility to prevent catastrophic failure, while bioceramics provide mechanical strength and bone conductivity. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating both materials' advantages: the polymer phase prevents brittleness while the bioceramics phase maintains strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent distributes bioceramics powder particles uniformly throughout the polymer matrix, creating local regions with enhanced mechanical properties. The bioceramics particles act as reinforcement phases locally, providing strength where needed, while the continuous polymer matrix maintains overall toughness and prevents catastrophic failure. This local quality distribution resolves the strength-reliability contradiction.
2Shape
If freeze-drying method is used to produce porous articles, then continuous pores are formed, but production time increases and thickness is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pore-forming mechanism from solvent sublimation (freeze-drying) to gas bubble entrapment during mixing and foaming. By controlling mixing speed, gas injection, and foaming parameters, continuous pores are formed rapidly without prolonged drying time. This parameter change in the pore formation process resolves the contradiction between pore structure quality and production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal-mass transfer process of freeze-drying with a mechanical foaming process during mixing. Gas bubbles are mechanically introduced and trapped in the polymer-bioceramics mixture, forming continuous pores through mechanical action rather than thermal sublimation. This substitution dramatically reduces production time while maintaining continuous pore structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If bioceramics content is increased to enhance bone conduction, then bioactivity is improved, but uniformity of distribution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary dispersion of bioceramics powder in the polymer matrix before final product formation. By pre-mixing and pre-dispersing the bioceramics particles uniformly throughout the polymer, subsequent processing maintains this uniform distribution. This preliminary action prevents aggregation and ensures homogeneous bioactivity throughout the porous article.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls mixing speed, viscosity, and particle size parameters to achieve uniform bioceramics distribution at high concentrations. By optimizing these parameters, the mixture remains homogeneous even with high bioceramics content (50-90 wt%). This parameter control resolves the contradiction between high bioactivity and uniform composition.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If absorption rate is increased for early bone replacement, then replacement time is reduced, but mechanical strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic system where the porous article's properties evolve over time. Initially, the polymer matrix provides mechanical strength to support the implant. As the polymer degrades and is absorbed, bioceramics particles remain to maintain structural integrity and promote bone growth. This dynamic transition from polymer-supported strength to bioceramics-supported strength resolves the contradiction between absorption rate and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure allows differential degradation rates: the polymer matrix degrades rapidly to enable early bone replacement, while the bioceramics particles remain stable to maintain mechanical strength. This composite design resolves the contradiction by assigning different temporal roles to each material component.
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 solution provides a biocompatible, durable, and absorbable implant material that facilitates early bone tissue replacement, enhances bone conduction, and supports three-dimensional bone reconstruction with improved mechanical strength and bioactivity, addressing the limitations of existing materials.
Implementation Method 1
a biodegradable and bioabsorbable polymer is dissolved in a solvent
Implementation Method 2
the solvent is removed to obtain an organic-inorganic complex porous article
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an implant material comprising an organic-inorganic complex porous article and a production method thereof. The organic-inorganic complex porous article is a biodegradable and bioabsorbable bioactive porous article in which a bioactive bioceramics powder is uniformly dispersed in a biodegradable and bioabsorbable polymer, wherein it has continuous pores and the bioceramics powder is partly exposed to the pore inner surface or the pore inner surface and the porous article surface.