Surface modification of medical implants

US6464889B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• ETEX Corporation · US

Inventors

• Dosuk D. Lee · Brookline, US
• Atul Nagras · Somerville, US
• Pramod Chakravarthy · Cambridge, US
• Anthony M. Majahad · Cambridge, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 25, 2000
• Grant date: Oct 15, 2002
• Expiry date: Jan 25, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61L2400/18
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An irregularly etched metallic medical implant device is provided having random non-uniform relief patterns on the surface ranging from about 0.3 &mgr;m to less than about 20 &mgr;m in depth. The random, irregular surface as defined by the etch micromorphology and respective dimensional properties is sobtained by exposing a surface to a reactive plasma in a chamber wherein said reactive plasma produces a reaction product with the surface to thereby etch the surface, said reaction product or a complex thereof having a vapor pressure lower than a pressure in the chamber; providing a dynamic masking agent during the etching process; and removing the reaction products.