Astro Met Associates, Inc.

Ortho Development Corporation

John W Graham

John W Kinney, Jr

Timothy McTighe

Paul Mraz

A ball and socket prosthetic joint device. A plurality of curved rigid segments are embedded within and extend out of a polymeric cushion to form a discontinuous hemispherical bearing surface for slidable engagement with a continuous hemispherical bearing surface.

Segmented prosthetic articulation

An improved thermal shock resistant and generally thermal resistant ceramic composition is disclosed. The ceramic composition is compounded of aluminum oxide as a primary constituent with additives in a preferred form comprising zirconium oxide plus manganese oxide or titanium oxide, or both, interacted by exposure to high temperature. The additives increase the thermal shock resistance of the fired ceramic composition, with retention of elevated temperature strength properties. The ceramic compositions are prepared as high density solid shapes or as porous structures. The solid shapes formed into machine components show improved resistance to rapid thermal excursions, differential thermal gradients and elevated temperatures. Open cell ceramic foams of the ceramic composition are useful for hot filters, such as for filtering molten metal as well as in reaction supporting applications, where such ceramic foam structures are subject to rapid temperature and pressure transients.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

John W Graham