Smith + Nephew

Smith & Nephew Richards Inc.

Kenneth P Daigle

James A Davidson

Ajit K Mishra

Paul Kovacs

Mark E Harbaugh

An annuloplasty ring of low elastic modulus Ti--Nb--Zr alloy to provide enhanced biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, flexibility and strength. Components of the annuloplasty ring can be surface hardened by oxygen or nitrogen diffusion or by depositing a tightly adherent, hard, wear-resistant, hemocompatible ceramic coating by physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition. The Ti--Nb--Zr alloy can be used as a fabrication material for any annuloplasty ring component that either comes into contact with blood, thereby demanding high levels of hemocompatibility, or that is subject to microfretting, corrosion, or other wear such that a low elastic modulus metal with a corrosion-resistant, hardened surface would be desirable.

Valvular annuloplasty rings of a biocompatible low elastic modulus

An annuloplasty ring fabricated from a component of a low elastic modulus metal coated with blue to black zirconium oxide or yellow to orange zirconium nitride. The coating provides enhanced thrombogenicity, biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, corrosion-resistance, friction and microfretting resistance, durability, and electrical insulation. The coatings can be applied to the underlying low modulus metallic components by physical or chemical vapor deposition as well as other ion-beam assisted methods. Preferably, however, for optimizing attachment strength, the annuloplasty ring components are fabricated from zirconium or zirconium-containing alloys and the coatings are formed by oxidizing or nitriding through an in situ method.

Zirconium oxide zirconium nitride coated valvular annuloplasty rings

The invention provides dental devices (including implants, abutments, bridges, screws, and orthodontic appliances) that are fabricated from low modulus, biocompatible, non-toxic Ti-Nb-Zr alloys. The dental implants provide a biomaterial-to-bone interface that results in significant attachment between implant and bone. The implants may be supplied with a porous coating or macro-texture to further promote bone attachment and stabilization of the implant in the jaw bone. Other orthodontic appliances such as brackets and wires have improved elastic toughness and corrosion resistance so that they provide superior performance and corrosion characteristics.

Biocompatible, low modulus dental devices

An orthopedic joint prosthesis includes a prosthesis body with a pair of connectable components each having a connecting portion with a generally frustroconically shaped surface. One of the components has a projecting connecting portion and the other component has a socket connecting portion. The projecting connecting portion has a distal end and a proximal end with a generally circular end face. The void space can also be a socket. The void space defines a means for distributing stress between the proximal and distal end portions after the prosthesis body has been assembled by locking the socket and projecting portions together.

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Olive Branch, MS, United States of America

Kenneth P Daigle