Stauffer Chemical Company

Howmedica Corp.

Pfizer Hospital Products Group, Inc.

Hommedica Inc.

Ruey Y Lin

Casper F Stark

Allen P Levine

Ashok K Chopra

Bernard Silverstein

Paul Kraft

John H Dumbleton

Miguel Coll-Palagos

Missoum Moumene

Frank O Groch

Thomas E Crippen

A prosthetic acetabular cup assembly, for receiving a ball attached to a femur, including components interlocked via a locking mechanism that includes a retaining ring fabricated at least in part using a polyaryletherketone material, such as PEEK. The locking mechanism is designed to meet predefined constraints such as assuring that substantially all motion is eliminated between assembled parts, assuring further that push-in/pull-out forces of assembly are within generally accepted industry standards, etc. Further aspect of the invention are directed to (a) the form and composition of the locking mechanism per se, such as locking mechanisms including a retaining ring fabricated at least in part using a polyaryletherketone material, where the shape of the retaining ring and manner in which it cooperates with the other components in the cup assembly results in a locking mechanism that satisfies the aforementioned constraints; (b) processes for fabricating specific types of retaining rings for use in securing the components of an acetabular cup assembly; and (c) to locking rings per se made utilizing polyaryletherketone material and composites including a polyaryletherketone material.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) retaining ring for an acetabular cup assembly

A beam adapted for implantation within a bone is able to support bending and torsional loading forces applied thereto. The beam has a stiffness defined by a modulus elasticity, which stiffness varies along the length of the beam to match the corresponding stiffness of the cortical bone adjacent the beam after implantation within the bone. The beam is made from an elongated core formed of chopped carbon fibers embedded in a thermoplastic polymer matrix. Encasing the core is a sheath formed of carbon reinforced filament fibers embedded in the thermoplastic polymer which is wound in spiral formation around the core and molded thereto. The winding angle and the sheath thickness along the beam may be varied to vary the modulus of elasticity to match that of the cortical bone adjacent thereto.

Composite orthopedic implant

A beam adapted for implantation within a bone is able to support bending and torsional loading forces applied thereto. The beam has a stiffness defined by a modulus elasticity, which stiffness varies along the length of the beam to match the corresponding stiffness of the cortical bone adjacent the beam after implantation within the bone. The beam is made from an elongated core formed of continuous filament carbon fibers embedded in a thermoplastic polymer matrix with the carbon filaments extending in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam. Encasing the core is a filler molded to the core, which filler is made up of the same thermoplastic polymer as the core but contains no reinforcing carbon fibers. The filler provides the prosthesis with a shape generally conforming to the desired shape of the final prosthetic implant. A sheath formed of carbon reinforced filament fibers embedded in the thermoplastic polymer is wound in spiral formation around the filler and molded thereto. The winding angle and the sheath thickness along the beam may be varied to vary the modulus of elasticity to match that of the cortical bone adjacent thereto.

A method of producing a site for tissue ingrowth on a surgical implant by embedding a space occupier possessing a desired pattern in the surface of the implant at the desired location for ingrowth and then solubilizing the embedded space occupier to leave the pattern on the implant surface. Preferably, the implant is fabricated from a composite comprising a semi-crystalline thermoplastic resin such as polyetheretherketone or polyphenylene sulfide, and the space occupier is an acid-soluble metal plate machined to produce the desired pattern and removed by aqueous acid solution.

Method of forming tissue ingrowth surface on surgical implants

Polycarbonate or copoly(carbonate/phosphonate) resins of low bulk density are compacted by mechanical pressure into easily handleable and processable mattes which can be used to produce pellets. Typically loose material with a bulk density less than about 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 is compacted to a matte of material with a bulk density greater than about 1 g/cm.sup.3.

Compacting polycarbonate and copoly(carbonate/phosphonate) particles

An article comprising: (1) an interpolymer which comprises crosslinked (meth)acrylate, crosslinked styrene-acrylonitrile, and uncrosslinked styrene-acrylonitrile components; and (2) an adherent metallic coating on said interpolymer. The article is useful as a plated component in motor vehicles, for example, as trim, grille work, wheel covers, and the like, or as plated appliance parts or plumbing components.

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New City, NY, United States of America

Ruey Y Lin