Southwest Research Institute

Gore Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Other

Geoffrey Dearnaley

James Lankford, Jr

James H Arps

Kevin Carl Walter

Stephen J Lukezich

Mark E Van Dyke

Cheryl Renee Blanchard

Louis Rodriguez

Mark Van Dyke

Leonard F Herk, Jr

Michael D Ladika

A method and apparatus for a prosthesis. At least a portion of the prosthesis is made from a ceramic that is treated with ion implantation, which causes a controllable, bilateral compressive stress of the ceramic. A diamond-like-coating (DLC) can be coated on the ceramic and in the same chamber as the ion implantation. After treating by ion implantation and coating with DLC, the ceramic will be strengthened and have a low coefficient of friction and thereby be made much less likely to fracture under load.

Ceramic in replacement components

Substrates comprising a surface comprising chromium, said surface being adapted to exhibit reduced coefficient of friction and/or increased hardness.

Life extension of chromium coatings and chromium alloys

Fuel cell electrodes comprising a minimal load of catalyst having maximum catalytic activity and a method of forming such fuel cell electrodes. The preferred method comprises vaporizing a catalyst, preferably platinum, in a vacuum to form a catalyst vapor. A catalytically effective amount of the catalyst vapor is deposited onto a carbon catalyst support on the fuel cell electrode. The electrode preferably is carbon cloth. The method reduces the amount of catalyst needed for a high performance fuel cell electrode to about 0.3 mg/cmor less, preferably to about 0.1 mg/cm. The electrocatalytic layer formed comprises unique, rod-like structures.

Catalytic coatings and fuel cell electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies made therefrom

A process for treating a chromium coating and/or the surface of a chromium alloy to increase hardness, and/or to decrease coefficient of friction; chromium alloys and/or chromium coatings with surfaces having increased hardness and/or decreased coefficient of friction; and, components comprising chromium alloys and/or chromium coatings with surfaces having increased hardness and/or decreased coefficient of friction.

Life extension of chromium coating and chromium alloys

Fuel cell electrodes comprising a minimal load of catalyst having maximum catalytic activity and a method of forming such fuel cell electrodes. The preferred method comprises vaporizing a catalyst, preferably platinum, in a vacuum to form a catalyst vapor. A catalytically effective amount of the catalyst vapor is deposited onto a carbon catalyst support on the fuel cell electrode. The electrode preferably is carbon cloth. The method reduces the amount of catalyst needed of a high performance fuel cell electrode to about 0.3 mg/cm or less, preferably to about 0.1 mg/cm . The electrocatalytic layer formed comprises unique, rod-like structures.

An adherent antimicrobial coating and method of making same comprising hydrogenated amorphous carbon and a dispersion of antimicrobial metal ions adapted to maintain a therapeutically effective zone of inhibition.

Non-irritating antimicrobial coatings and process for preparing same

An amorphous carbon film, preferably disposed on and substantially filling the pores in a porous anodized aluminum outer surface, wherein the amorphous carbon film comprises as an integral component an effective amount of a lubricity-increasing agent, preferably sulfur.

Method for producing a lubricious amorphous carbon film

Lubricious diamond-like carbon coatings

The present invention provides a process of forming an antimicrobial coating on a surface of a medical implant, the coating comprising an antimicrobially effective amount of antimicrobial metal atoms incorporated into a coating of amorphous carbonaceous material.

Non-irritating antimicrobial coating for medical implants and a process for preparing same

A rapid deployment countermeasure system comprises a base attached to a plurality of tubes which are in fluid communication with at least one deployment module. A guidance bar is attached to the top ends of the tubes, and a guidance shroud is proximate to the outer surfaces of the tubes. The system includes one or more anti-ballistic blankets fixedly attached to the guidance bar, and is erected to form an anti-ballistic barrier upon activation of the deployment modules. A method to reactively protect personnel from the approach of a ballistic projectile by deployment of a countermeasure system prior to arrival of the projectile at the location of the personnel comprises the steps of detecting the approach of the ballistic projectile, discriminating the presence of the ballistic projectile with respect to other moving objects or electronic noise, and activating the countermeasure system in response to discriminating the presence of the ballistic projectile so as to interpose an anti-ballistic barrier between the personnel and the projectile.

Rapid deployment countermeasure system and method

A method of forming titanium boronitride coatings using ion beam assisted deposition. The method involves exposing the substrate to a vacuum, depositing titanium onto the substrate, substantially simultaneously exposing the substrate to a source comprising boron and nitrogen, and substantially simultaneously bombarding the substrate with an energetic beam of ions under conditions effective to form a quantity of titanium-boron bonds and a quantity of titanium-nitrogen bonds effective to produce a titanium boronitride coating having a hardness of at least about 5000 kg/mm,.

Method of making titanium boronitride coatings using ion beam assisted deposition

The present invention provides methods for modifying surfaces made from metal alloy and/or UHMWPE, preferably surfaces which are frictionally engaged, e.g., in an orthopaedic implant. The methods of the present invention reduce the coefficient of friction of the metal alloy component, reduce the shearing of fibrils from the UHMWPE component, and reduce sub-surface fatigue in the UHMWPE component. The method involves solvent immersion of the UHMWPE component to remove short chains of polyethylene at or near the surface of the component, and to swell and toughen the subsurface of the component. The method also involves firmly coating the surface of the metal alloy component with an adherent layer of diamond-like carbon (&ldquo;DLC&rdquo;) by creating a metal-silicide interface at the surface of the metal alloy to permit firmer adhesion of DLC. Although the methods of the present invention are particularly useful in orthopaedic applications, the methods also can be used to treat similar components used in other applications.

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene components treated to resist shearing and frictional wear

Fuel cell electrodes comprising a minimal load of catalyst having maximum catalytic activity and a method of forming such fuel cell electrodes. The method comprises vaporizing a catalyst, preferably platinum, in a vacuum to form a catalyst vapor. A catalytically effective amount of the catalyst vapor is deposited onto a carbon catalyst support on the fuel cell electrode. The electrode preferably is carbon cloth. The method reduces the amount of catalyst needed for a high performance fuel cell electrode to about 0.3 mg/cm.sup.2 or less.

Method of depositing a catalyst on a fuel cell electrode

Amorphous carbon comprising a dispersion comprising a catalytically effective load of catalyst, preferably an electrocatalytically effective load of a noble metal electrocatalyst, and membrane electrode assemblies and fuel cell electrodes incorporating same.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Geoffrey Dearnaley