The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 18, 2012
Filed:
Feb. 06, 2008
David Myung, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Beinn V. O. Mulr, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Curtis W. Frank, Cupertino, CA (US);
David Myung, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Beinn V. O. Mulr, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Curtis W. Frank, Cupertino, CA (US);
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A hydrogel-metal assembly is provided. An intervening polymer network is used to bond together a water-swollen hydrogel layer and a biocompatible surface-modified metallic layer. The hydrogel layer is a water-swollen hydrogel layer of at least two interpenetrating polymers. The surface of the biocompatible surface-modified metallic layer is surface-modified with an inorganic material. The intervening polymer network has been chemically grafted to the inorganic material of the biocompatible surface-modified metallic layer through bi-functional linker molecules. The intervening polymer network is further physically or chemically cross-linked with the polymers of the water-swollen hydrogel. The hydrogel-metal assembly can be adapted to form a medical device, medical implant, an artificial implant, an orthopedic implant, or at least as part of a joint. The hydrogel-metal assembly is attractive for use as such implants or devices due to its characteristics such as, for example, low coefficient of friction, impact-absorption capacity or strength, and/or biocompatibility.