Biotronik Ag

Biotronik Vi Patent Ag

Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Eth Zuerich

Synthes Usa, LLC

Depuy Spine, Inc.

Synthes Gmbh

Joerg Loeffler

Peter J Uggowitzer

Heinz Mueller

Stefan Beck

Thomas Imwinkelried

Bodo Gerold

Peter Uggowitzer

Anja Haenzi

Heinrich K Feichtinger

Andrea Montali

Christian Wegmann

Minh Becker

Gerhard Kappelt

Bruno Zberg

Petra Gunde

A method for producing a magnesium alloy having improved mechanical and electrochemical properties. The method includes generating a high-purity magnesium by vacuum distillation. A billet of the alloy is generated by synthesis of the high-purity magnesium with 2.0 to 10.0% by weight Al, the remainder being magnesium containing impurities, which promote electrochemical potential differences and/or the formation of precipitations and/or intermetallic phases, in a total amount of no more than 0.0063% by weight of Fe, Si, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, Y, Sc or rare earths having the ordinal numbers 21, 57 to 71 and 89 to 103, Be, Cd, In, Sn and/or Pb as well as P, wherein the matrix of the alloy includes intermetallic phases formed of Mg and Al. The alloy is homogenized by annealing at a temperature between 150° C. and 450° C. The homogenized alloy is formed in the temperature range between 200° C. and 400° C.

Method for producing magnesium alloy

A magnesium alloy includes &#x3c;3% by weight of Zn, &#x2264;0.6% by weight of Ca, with the rest being formed by magnesium containing impurities, which favor electrochemical potential differences and/or promote the formation of intermetallic phases, in a total amount of no more than 0.005% by weight of Fe, Si, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Al, Zr and P, wherein the alloy contains elements selected from the group of rare earths with the atomic number 21, 39, 57 to 71 and 89 to 103 in a total amount of no more than 0.002% by weight.

Magnesium-zinc-calcium alloy and method for producing implants containing the same

A preferred embodiment is an uncoated, biodegradable stent. The stent has a filigree structure of magnesium alloy struts. The struts of the supporting structure are arranged to permit a compressed form for introduction into the body and to permit an expanded form at the site of the application within a vessel. The magnesium alloy struts are formed of a corrodible magnesium alloy. The magnesium alloy is formed from high-purity vacuum distilled magnesium containing impurities, which promote electrochemical potential differences and/or the formation of precipitations and/or intermetallic phases. The impurities are such that the struts of the stent have a tensile strength of &#x3e;275 MPa a yield point of &#x3e;200 MPa, a yield ratio of &#x3c;0.8, a difference between tensile strength and yield point of &#x3e;50 MPa.

Corrosion resistant stent

A preferred embodiment is an uncoated, biodegradable corrosion resistant bone implant. The implant includes a body being uncoated and lacking any protective polymer, metallic or ceramic coating, the body being shaped to fix to a bone and/or bone fragment. The body is formed of a magnesium alloy. The magnesium alloy includes from high-purity vacuum distilled magnesium containing impurities, which promote electrochemical potential differences and/or the formation of precipitations and/or intermetallic phases. The impurities are such that the body has a strength of &#x3e;275 MPa, and a ratio yield point of &#x3c;0.8, wherein the difference between strength and yield point is &#x3e;50 MPa.

Uncoated biodegradable corrosion resistant bone implants

A magnesium alloy, implants and method for the production thereof. The magnesium alloy includes 1.5 to 7.0% by weight Zn, 0.5 to 3.5% by weight Al, the remainder being magnesium which contains impurities, which promote electrochemical potential differences and/or the formation of precipitations and/or intermetallic phases, in a total amount of no more than 0.0063% by weight of Fe, Si, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, Y, Sc or rare earths having the ordinal numbers 21, 57 to 71 and 89 to 103, Be, Cd, In, Sn and/or Pb as well as P.

Magnesium alloy, method for the production thereof and use thereof

A process for producing high-purity magnesium by means of distillation at reduced pressure, characterized in that, the high-purity magnesium condenses in the liquid state, whereby the starting material in the form of a magnesium-containing melt is present together with the upper region of a condensation vessel in the upper region of a retort, whereby the retort consist of a material that releases no volatile impurities into the magnesium steam, whereby the upper region of the retort is brought to a temperature above the boiling point of magnesium, within the limits of two level lines, and is then held constant, such that steam rises from the boiling magnesium-containing metal melt and fills the interior of the upper region of the retort, whereby the steam infiltrating the upper region of the condensation vessel condenses below the lower level line and collects as high-purity melt in the lower region of the condensation vessel, and whereby in order to prevent contaminated melt that drops from the region above the upper level line from reaching the opening of the condensation vessel, this is protected by a cover, which conveys the impure magnesium back again into the melt.

Process and apparatus for vacuum distillation of high-purity magnesium

An alloy and an implant having a three-dimensional structure based on such alloy. The alloy comprises a MgZnCa alloy containing nanosized precipitates being less noble than the Mg matrix alloy and having a Zn content ranging 0.1 wt. % Zn to 2 wt. % Zn and a calcium content ranging from 0.2 wt. % to 0.5 wt. %, and having one or more other elements, with the remainder being Mg. Any second phase generated during the solidification process may be completely dissolved by a solution heat treatment. Finely dispersed nanosized precipitates can then be generated by a subsequent aging heat treatment step. These precipitates are used to 'pin' the grain boundaries and to prevent the coarsening of the grain structure during further processing to achieve grain sizes below 5 &#x3bc;m.

Magnesium alloy with adjustable degradation rate

A magnesium alloy includes 3 to 7.0% Zn, 0.001 to 0.5% Ca, the remainder being magnesium containing impurities, which promote electrochemical potential differences and/or the formation of intermetallic phases, in a total amount of no more than 0.005 of Fe, Si, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Al, Zr and P, wherein the alloying elements are selected from the group of the rare earths having the ordinal numbers 21, 39, 57 to 71 and 89 to 103 in a total amount of no more than 0.001% by weight.

Magnesium-zinc-calcium alloy, method for production thereof, and use thereof

An alloy and an implant having a three-dimensional structure based on such alloy. The alloy comprises a monophasic MgZn alloy containing from 2.0 wt. % Zn to 6 wt. % Zn, having less than 0.001 wt. % of one or more other elements with the remainder being Mg. In some embodiments, the alloy is substantially free of microgalvanic elements. In some embodiments, the alloy includes a MgZnCa alloy containing nanosized precipitates being less noble than the Mg matrix alloy and having a Zn content ranging from 3.0 wt. % Zn to 6 wt. % Zn and a calcium content ranging from 0.0005 wt. % to 1.0 wt. %, having less than 0.001 wt. % of one or more other elements with the remainder being Mg. In other embodiments, the alloy includes a MgZnCa alloy containing nanosized precipitates being less noble than the Mg matrix alloy, a plurality of nanosized precipitates being more noble than the Mg matrix and having a Zn content ranging from 3.0 wt. % Zn to 6 wt. % Zn, a calcium content ranging from 0.0005 wt. % to 1.0 wt. %, having less than 0.001 wt. % of one or more other elements with the remainder being Mg.

Ultrapure magnesium alloy with adjustable degradation rate

An alloy and an implant having a three-dimensional structure based on such alloy. The alloy comprises a MgZnCa alloy containing nanosized precipitates being less noble than the Mg matrix alloy and having a Zn content ranging 0.1 wt. % Zn to 2 wt. % Zn and a calcium content ranging from 0.2 wt. % to 0.5 wt. %, and having less than 0.04 wt. % of one or more other elements with the remainder being Mg. For these micro-alloys, any second phase generated during the solidification process can be completely dissolved by a solution heat treatment. Finely dispersed nanosized precipitates can then be generated by a subsequent aging heat treatment step. These precipitates are used to 'pin' the grain boundaries and to prevent the coarsening of the grain structure during further processing to achieve grain sizes below 5 &#x3bc;m.

A medical implant comprising a composite material which is composed of reinforcement fibers made of a magnesium-containing, bio-corrosive alloy, another bio-corrosive alloy containing a main component that is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Fe, and Y, or a non-biodegradable fiber material, embedded in a matrix made of crystalline magnesium or magnesium alloys.

Absorbable medical implant made of fiber-reinforced magnesium or fiber-reinforced magnesium alloys

A marker alloy foreign implant made of a biodegradable metallic material and having the composition MgxYbyMz wherein x is equal to 10-60 atomic percent; y is equal to 40-90 atomic percent; z is equal to 0-10 atomic percent; M is one or more element selected from the group consisting of Ag, Zn, Au, Ga, Pd, Pt, Al, Sn, Ca, Nd, Ba, Si, and Ge; and wherein x, y, and z, together, and including contaminants caused by production, result in 100 atomic percent.

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Greifensee, Switzerland

Joerg Loeffler