PEEK Coated Bone Implant Reducing Particle Shedding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current composite material bone implants, particularly those made of fiber-reinforced polymer matrices, face issues with stress shielding and bone deterioration due to high stress and insufficient load transfer, leading to bone weakness and loss of support, and shed particles can be difficult to distinguish from contamination or tissue degeneration.
Innovation Solution
A bone implant with a fiber-reinforced polymer composite body coated with a reinforcement fiber-free PEEK layer that shields the surface from wearing contacts, reducing particle shedding and enhancing wear durability, and potentially incorporating metal mesh structures for improved integration and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid metal bone plate is used, then strength and load bearing capacity are improved, but stress shielding occurs causing bone deterioration and resorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of a polymer matrix (PEEK or PEKK) reinforced with carbon fibers arranged in specific patterns. This composite construction allows the implant to achieve sufficient strength for load bearing while maintaining flexibility to transfer stress to the bone, thereby preventing stress shielding and promoting bone health.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different fiber reinforcement patterns to different regions of the implant body. The fiber orientation and density are locally optimized to match the mechanical requirements of underlying bone structures, providing enhanced strength where needed while maintaining stress transfer capabilities in other areas.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If carbon fiber composite material is used, then stress shielding is reduced, but particle shedding occurs that is difficult to distinguish from contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates radio-opaque markers or contrasting agents within or on the surface of the composite implant. These markers appear distinct on radiographic imaging, allowing clear differentiation between implant particles and surrounding contamination or tissue, thereby facilitating easier detection and monitoring.
3Reliability
If a surface coating is applied to the implant, then wear durability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the surface coating with the implant body through a single compression molding process. The coating material is placed over the mold cavity along with the composite body, and both are molded simultaneously under heat and pressure, creating an integrated structure that eliminates separate coating steps and reduces manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A coating layer, for example PEEK or titanium foil, shields a bone implant surface from wearing interactions with surfaces of bone and/or other implants. The coating prevents shedding particles which are difficult to distinguish from evidence of potentially dangerous conditions, for example, microorganism contamination and/or degenerating tissue. Methods and structures for securing a coating layer are described. Other uses and implementations of coating layers are described.