Johnson & Johnson Professional, Inc.

Douglas A Fifolt

Brooke W Mastrorio

Methods are provided for producing investment cast articles, such as orthopedic implants or portions thereof, having at least a partially textured surface that is formed during casting of the article. In an exemplary method, a textured metal casting is produced by creating a heat destructible pattern and spraying the pattern with a texturing material to cause the texturing material to form a textured surface on at least a portion of the pattern. In another embodiment, a textured template is pressed against a heat softenable pattern to provide a textured pattern. With respect to each of these methods, a shell is the created around the textured pattern form a mold, and the pattern is removed from the shell. Molten metal is introduced into the mold and allowed to harden, after which the mold is removed. In yet another embodiment a textured pattern for investment casting is provided by creating a textured model and enveloping it with a resilient material to create a resilient mold. The textured model is removed from the resilient mold and the mold is filled with investment casting wax to create a textured pattern.

Investment casting

Methods are provided for producing investment cast articles, such as orthopedic implants, or portions thereof, having at least a partially textured surface that is formed during casting of the article. In an exemplary method, a textured metal casting is produced by creating a heat destructible pattern and spraying the pattern with a texturing material to cause the texturing material to form a textured surface on at least a portion of the pattern. In another embodiment, a textured template is pressed against a heat softenable pattern to provide a textured pattern. With respect to each of these methods, a shell is the created around the textured pattern to form a mold, and the pattern is removed from the shell. Molten metal is introduced into the mold and allowed to harden, after which the mold is removed.

Methods are provided for producing investment cast articles, such as orthopedic implants, or portions thereof, having at least a partially textured surface that is formed during casting of the article. In an exemplary method, a textured metal casting is produced by creating a heat destructible pattern and spraying the pattern with a texturing material to cause the texturing material to form a textured surface on at least a portion of the pattern. In another embodiment, a textured template is pressed against a heat softenable pattern to provide a textured pattern. With respect to each of these methods, a shell is created around the textured pattern to form a mold, and the pattern is removed from the shell. Molten metal is introduced into the mold and allowed to harden, after which the mold is removed.

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South Easton, MA, United States of America

Douglas A Fifolt