Rounded UHMWPE Granulate Production for Medical Implants
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of medical objects, such as implants, is complex due to the specific shape and high viscosity of starting plastic materials, often requiring chemical process steps with solvents, which increases costs and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of free-flowing plastic powder, heating and pressing to form intermediate pieces, mechanical comminution into granules of specific size and shape, and connecting these granules to form a base body, primarily through mechanical and physical processing steps, reducing chemical reactions and allowing for adjustable porosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If chemical processes with solvents are used to manufacture plastic implants, then the specific shape and high viscosity of starting plastic materials can be achieved, but the production complexity and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical processes with mechanical processing methods. Specifically, it uses mechanical comminution (crushing and grinding) to achieve the required grain size and shape control, substituting solvent-based chemical processes with purely mechanical operations. This is evident in the method steps involving crushing intermediate pieces and grinding them to obtain granulates with controlled morphology.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the morphology of granulates by adjusting mechanical processing parameters such as crushing force, grinding intensity, and processing time. By varying these mechanical parameters, the desired grain size and shape are achieved without requiring complex chemical process control, thus simplifying the overall production process.
2Manufacturing precision
If chemical processes with solvents are used to manufacture plastic implants, then the specific shape of starting plastic materials can be achieved, but the number of process steps and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates chemical solvent processes entirely by using mechanical comminution methods. The granulate morphology is controlled through mechanical crushing and grinding operations, which are simpler and more efficient than chemical processes. This substitution reduces the number of process steps and improves production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the chemical process steps from the manufacturing workflow. By removing solvent-based chemical processes and replacing them with direct mechanical processing, the production sequence is simplified, reducing both the number of steps and associated costs while maintaining granulate quality.
3Ease of manufacture
If chemical processes with solvents are used to manufacture plastic implants, then the high viscosity of starting plastic materials can be managed, but the environmental impact and reagent usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical solvent processes with mechanical processing methods to handle high viscosity plastic materials. By using mechanical comminution (crushing and grinding) instead of chemical processes, the method eliminates harmful reagents and solvents, thereby reducing environmental impact while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the challenge of handling high viscosity materials into an advantage by using mechanical processing. The high viscosity of the plastic material actually facilitates better particle formation during mechanical comminution, and by avoiding chemical solvents, the method transforms a potential environmental harm into an environmentally friendly process.
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 method simplifies the production process, reduces costs, and minimizes environmental impact by using reproducible mechanical processing, while enabling targeted porosity and material optimization for medical applications, such as implants and surgical tools.
Implementation Method 1
b) Heating and compressing the plastic powder to form at least one intermediate piece
Implementation Method 2
b) Heating and compressing the plastic powder to form at least one intermediate piece
Implementation Method 3
c) Mechanically crushing the at least one intermediate piece into granules
Implementation Method 4
d) Combining the granules into a base body
Data Source
Figure 1a~1g
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a plastic object (1) for surgical use, comprising the following steps: a) providing a plastic powder (2); b) heating and pressing the plastic powder (2) thus forming at least one intermediate piece (3); c) mechanically comminuting the at least one intermediate piece (3) to form a granulate (4); and d) joining the granulate (4) to form an integral base body (6). The invention also relates to an implant or to an auxiliary agent having at least one base body (6) comprising a UHMWPE-material.