Orthopedic implants and methods of manufacturing orthopedic implants
Inventors
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-10016811-B2
Publication Date
2018-07-10
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method of manufacturing an orthopedic implant is provided. The method includes creating a 3D model of an orthopedic implant having a solid portion and a porous portion and selectively adjusting a physical property of at least one of porosity of the porous portion, lattice thickness of the porous portion, beam profile of the porous portion, and topography of the 3D model. The entire implant is then additively manufactured based on the 3D model.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to manufacturing an orthopedic implant by creating a 3D model of a part that includes a solid portion and a porous portion, with an aperture extending through the part. The 3D model is used to define how the porous portion is implemented for additive manufacturing of the entire orthopedic implant.
A key aspect is that the degree of porosity is selectively adjusted so that the porous portion adjacent the aperture has a different degree of porosity than the porous portion distal to the aperture, including higher degree of porosity adjacent the aperture. In embodiments with more than one porous portion and solid portions spaced and circumscribing other portions, the 3D model defines porous portions positioned between and circumscribed by solid portions, and the selective porosity adjustment is applied to one or more porous portions adjacent the aperture.
The manufacturing process further includes additively manufacturing the entire orthopedic implant based on the 3D model of the part. The document also describes selectively adjusting additional physical properties of porous structures to correspond to an intended bone position, including porosity and features such as lattice thickness, beam profile, and topography, and tailoring surface area percentage of solid/porous portions based on implantation position or intended type of bone, to support bone ingrowth and involucrum.
Claims Coverage
The provided claims include three independent method claims for manufacturing an orthopedic implant. They share a core structure: create a 3D model with solid and porous portions and an aperture, selectively adjust porosity near the aperture relative to distal porous regions, and additively manufacture the entire implant from the 3D model.
A 3D model with solid and porous portions and an aperture with selective porosity near the aperture
Creating a 3D model of a part having a solid portion and a porous portion, and an aperture extending through the part; selectively adjusting the degree of porosity of the porous portion adjacent the aperture to be higher than the degree of porosity of the porous portion distal to the aperture; and additively manufacturing the entire orthopedic implant based on the 3D model of the part.
Two circumscribed solid portions with two porous portions and selective porosity near the aperture
Creating a 3D model of a part having a first solid portion, a second solid portion spaced from and circumscribing the first solid portion, a first porous portion between the first and second solid portions, and a second porous portion circumscribing the second solid portion, and an aperture extending through the part; selectively adjusting the degree of porosity of the first or second porous portions of the 3D model adjacent the aperture to be higher than the degree of porosity distal to the aperture; and additively manufacturing the entire orthopedic implant based on the 3D model of the part.
Circumscribed solid portions with first and second porous portions and selective porosity near the aperture that differs
Creating a 3D model of a part having an aperture extending through the part and a first solid portion, a second solid portion spaced from and circumscribing the first solid portion, a first porous portion between the first and second solid portions, and a second porous portion circumscribing the second solid portion; selectively adjusting the degree of porosity adjacent to the aperture to differ from the degree of porosity distal to the aperture; and additively manufacturing the entire orthopedic implant based on the 3D model of the part.
Across the independent claims, the shared inventive core is the use of a 3D model of an orthopedic implant part with an aperture and solid and porous portions, together with selective adjustment of porous degree of porosity near the aperture relative to distal porous regions, followed by additively manufacturing the entire orthopedic implant based on the 3D model. The claim-specific variations define whether porosity is described as adjacent higher porosity or as porosity that differs adjacent to the aperture.
Stated Advantages
Support bone ingrowth and involucrum.
Provide load tolerance.
Reduce manufacturing cost.
Suitability for custom patient implants.
Documented Applications
Custom patient orthopedic implant manufacturing based on intended implantation position and intended type of bone.
Orthopedic fixation device contexts, including fixation device (screw/pin) configurations described with example implant geometries having apertures.
Orthopedic implant geometry examples including wedge, block, rod, and cylindrical implants with apertures and porous coatings, as described in the document.
Interested in licensing this patent?