Sulzer Orthopaedie Ag

Merck + Co., Inc.

Timothy Andrew Large

Anne Tregoning Miller

Roland Baege

John Maclaren Cassells

Toby StJohn King

Stephen Owen

Neil Emerton

Graham S Gutsell

A surface for a metal implant has a coarse structure of elevations and depressions, with the surface being permeated by a network of protruding ribs which form nodes and interstices or meshes having an interstice width of 2 mm to 0.4 mm, while the depressions represent sections of spherical cavities. The nodes of the ribs can protrude the furthest like mountain peaks, whereas the ribs which connect two nodes each form a lower lying saddle if the spherical cavities penetrate one another slightly. Through coating with an electrochemically resistant protective lacquer, into which holes can be shot at a predetermined spacing without damaging the metal, with a laser for example, a coarsely structured intermediary surface can be economically provided by means of electrochemical erosion which receives a fine structure through sand blasting.

Metal implant with anchoring surface

The invention shows a surface (2) for a metal implant (1) which has a coarse structure of elevations (3) and depressions (4), with the surface (2) being permeated by a network (5) of protruding ribs which form nodes (7) and interstices or meshes (8) having an interstice width of 2 mm to 0.4 mm, while the depressions represent sections of spherical cavities (11). The nodes (7) of the ribs can protrude the furthest like mountain peaks, whereas the ribs (6) which connect two nodes (7) each form a lower lying saddle (10) if the spherical cavities penetrate one another slightly. Through coating with an electrochemically resistant protective lacquer, into which holes can be shot at a predetermined spacing without damaging the metal, with a laser for example, a coarsely structured intermediary surface can be economically provided by means of electrochemical erosion which receives a fine structure through sand blasting.

Method for producing a metal surface

A laser drilling process capable of producing a plurality of holes in a pharmaceutical dosage form, at high speed, is presented. The process utilizes a high power CO.sub.2 laser steered by an acousto-optic deflector together with various mirrors and optical components to achieve the correct beam path geometry, in order to produce an unlimited number of holes through the surface or coating of a dosage form, at rates up to 100,000 units or more per hour.

Process for producing a plurality of holes in dosage forms using a laser

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Cambs, United Kingdom

Timothy Andrew Large