Additive Manufactured Implants with Replicated Bone Porosity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current additive manufacturing processes fail to adequately replicate the trabecular structure of bone, particularly in terms of reduced three-dimensional structural densities and interconnected porosity, which is essential for promoting bony on-growth and long-term fixation of implants.

Innovation Solution

The method involves imaging bone using high-resolution digital scanners, such as microCT, to generate a three-dimensional design model, removing sections to replicate the bone architecture, and using additive manufacturing techniques like Direct Metal Laser Sintering to create implants with porous regions that mimic the bone's structure, including the use of biological surface coatings for enhanced tissue integration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional additive manufacturing processes are used to create implant surfaces, then manufacturing capability is achieved, but the ability to replicate trabecular bone structure with reduced three-dimensional structural densities and interconnected porosity is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereplication of trabecular bone structureVSAvoidadditive manufacturing capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the manufacturing approach by changing the fundamental parameters of additive manufacturing to enable porous structure replication. This includes using specialized processes that can create interconnected porosity and reduced three-dimensional structural densities, moving from conventional solid-layer deposition to processes that inherently create or accommodate porous architectures throughout the implant surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention directly applies porous materials principles by designing the implant surface to replicate the trabecular bone's inherent porous structure. The additive manufacturing process is specifically configured to create interconnected porous networks with controlled pore sizes and distributions that mirror natural bone architecture, enabling both manufacturing feasibility and biological functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If implants are designed for specific anatomic sites, then site-specific interaction with bone is achieved, but the interaction is limited to areas immediately surrounding the implantation site without considering broader bone architecture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanatomic site-specific interactionVSAvoidinteraction area with bone

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the implant surface into multiple zones, each with distinct porous structures that correspond to different anatomic locations. Each zone is designed with specific pore characteristics matched to the local bone architecture at that anatomic site, allowing the implant to interact optimally with bone across its entire surface area rather than just at the immediate implantation interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention implements local quality by varying the porous structure properties (pore size, connectivity, density) across different regions of the implant surface to match the specific bone characteristics at each anatomic location. This ensures that each local area of the implant provides optimal osteoconductive properties tailored to the surrounding bone's trabecular architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This approach enables the creation of implants with improved osteoconductive properties, promoting bony on-growth and stability by accurately replicating the trabecular architecture of bone, thereby enhancing the long-term fixation and integration of implants with surrounding tissues.

Implementation Method 1

imaging bone with a high resolution digital scanner to generate a three-dimensional design model of the bone

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectX-ray imaging: X-Ray

Implementation Method 2

additive manufacturing techniques include laser based additive manufacturing processes such as selective or direct metal laser sintering processes

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser sintering: Laser

Implementation Method 3

The powder is fused, re-melted or sintered, by the application of laser energy that is directed in raster-scan fashion to portions of the powder layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Implementation Method 4

the resulting osteoconductive properties of the implant can be improved in such a manner that the porous surfaces are able to function as scaffolds exhibiting desirable load-bearing strengths

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOsteoconduction:

Data Source

PatentUS9993341B2Metallic structures having porous regions from imaged bone at pre-defined anatomic locations

Publication Date: 2018.06.12 BIOMET MFG LLC

AI summary

An additively manufactured medical implant, comprising a metallic body having at least one porous surface configured to promote bony on-growth or in-growth of tissue, the porous surface being replicated from a high resolution scan of bone, and a biological surface coating configured to create a barrier to particulate debris, the biological surface coating being produced from a titanium porous plasma spray surface coating or a biomimetic coating.