Porous Metal Implant Surface for Stronger Bone Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implants made from titanium or titanium alloys face challenges in achieving optimal binding to biological tissues such as bone or teeth due to insufficient surface porosity, which affects their strength and integration with the tissue.
Innovation Solution
The development of an implant with a surface layer featuring a complex porous structure, including trunk holes, branch holes, interior spaces, and tunnel connecting paths, formed using laser beam irradiation methods to enhance binding capabilities to bone or teeth, utilizing metals like titanium, titanium alloys, or tantalum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a porous structure is formed on the implant surface to improve binding to biological tissue, then bindability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by forming a porous structure on the implant surface through laser beam irradiation. The laser processing creates a porous layer with specific morphology (including open holes, closed holes, and intermediate holes) that enhances binding to biological tissue while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled laser parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical surface treatment methods (such as shot blasting or chemical etching) with laser beam irradiation. This substitution allows for precise control of porous structure formation through optical energy, eliminating the need for complex mechanical processing equipment and multi-step manufacturing processes
2Reliability
If laser beam irradiation is used to form porous structure, then bindability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying laser processing parameters (irradiation energy density, number of irradiations, irradiation pattern, pulse duration) to control the porous structure formation. By adjusting these parameters, the patent achieves desired porous morphology with consistent results, reducing the need for extremely tight manufacturing tolerances while maintaining high bindability
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 porous structure increases the implant's bindability to biological tissues by allowing calcium phosphates to precipitate and activating osteoblasts, resulting in solid and dense adhesion, with the bone completely filling the porous structure, thereby enhancing the implant's integration and stability.
Implementation Method 1
a surface including a surface layer portion is irradiated with a laser beam thereby forming a porous structure
Implementation Method 2
the surface including a surface layer portion is irradiated with a laser beam thereby forming a porous structure
Implementation Method 3
allowing calcium phosphates to precipitate
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3~4B
AI summary
Object Provided is a medical implant (10) having favorable biocompatibility. Solution to Problem An implant (10) used for binding to a biological tissue including bone or teeth, and made of metal selected from titanium or titanium alloys, cobalt chrome alloys, and tantalum, includes a surface layer portion of a portion, which is bound to a biological tissue including bone or teeth, of the implant (10), the surface layer portion having a porous structure. The porous structure includes a trunk hole (32) formed in a thickness direction and including an opening (31) on a binding face (12) side, open holes (30) each constituted of a branch hole (33) formed extending from an inner wall surface of the trunk hole (32) in a direction different from that of the trunk hole (32), an interior space (40) formed in the thickness direction and not including an opening (31) on the binding face (12) side, a tunnel connecting path (50) connecting the open holes (30) and the interior space (40), and a tunnel connecting path (50) connecting the open holes (30).