Union Carbide Corporation

Amoco Corporation

Walter H Smarook

George T Kwiatkowski

Michael J Michno, Jr

Myron Spector

Edwin O Lundell

Prosthetic devices, such as orthopedic, dental and maxillofacial prostheses, are provided which are composed of an inner load bearing, functional component and an outer foamed or sintered porous coating of selected bioengineering thermoplastics. The bioengineering thermoplastic coating is provided in regions where long-term bone fixation is desired by tissue ingrowth. The coatings offer substantial biomechanical advantages over any material system previously reported. Also provided, are anatomically shaped devices comprised totally of bioengineering thermoplastics with select porous areas; these devices include bone gap bridges, bone caps, and alveolar ridge augmentation implants.

Prosthetic devices having coatings of selected porous bioengineering

Process and product-by-process of selectively treating a surface of plastic film to prevent blocking by blanketing the surface with a noble gas and by striking a corona discharge within the noble gas atmosphere, while the other surface of the film is in contact with some other gas or gas composition, such as air.

Method of selectively treating a plastic film surface to prevent blocking

Foamed, low density polymeric articles have been fabricated from a non-tacky hydrogel obtained by blending normally solid thermoplastic polymer resin with a normally liquid organic solvent and water, at lower molding temperatures and energy requirements than those conventionally used in melt extrusion foam processing.

Fabrication of foamed articles

A low pressure process for expanding the cross-section of a blank of thermoformable material between a pair of mold plates having perforation means therein, with the perforation means of one plate being selectively out of alignment with the perforation means in the second plate, the expansion leading to the formation of one or more voids having a partial vacuum or reduced pressure within the cross-section of the blank, which comprises venting the voids during the expansion of the cross-section so as to equilibrate the level of pressure within the voids with the level of pressure without the blank so as to thereby regulate the uniformity and integrity of the resulting cross-sectional geometry of the expanded blank. Products having an expanded cross-section are formed by such process.

Expanded product having a plurality of cells open at one end

Hydrogel dough composition for fabrication of foamed articles

A bristled article is integrally formed in an essentially one step low pressure process from a sheet of thermoformable material between a top and bottom mold surface. The bottom mold surface is smooth and the top mold surface is channeled, and the sheet, in a fused state, is pulled between the mold plates and while bonded thereto by hot tack adhesion, and bristles form at the points of contact with the top mold surface. The bristled articles are useful as brush devices, artificial turf, packaging material and the like.

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Somerville, NJ, United States of America

Walter H Smarook