A bioactive scaffold is provided. The bioactive scaffold includes an interconnected web of struts composed of a glass-ceramic material, the web of struts being printed as a three-dimensional structure from a filament composition having a bimodal distribution of glass-ceramic microparticles, wherein the bioactive scaffold has a porosity defined by spaces between struts of greater than or equal to about 40% to less than or equal to about 80% and an average pore size of greater than or equal to about 200 μm to less than or equal to about 400 μm. Methods of making the bioactive scaffold and treating bone defects using the bioactive scaffolds are also provided.

Disclosed herein is a biomaterial and a method of use thereof for treating a condition. A biomaterial of the disclosure can be, for example, a surgical article. Implantation of a biomaterial disclosed herein into a subject can treat, for example, cancer.

A medical device and associated methods are disclosed. In one example, the medical device includes an electrosurgical forceps. In selected examples, one or more structural components of the electrosurgical forceps includes a sintered ceramic microstructure. In selected examples other medical devices, including a debrider and a lithotripter, include a sintered ceramic microstructure.

A medical instrument in which an inorganic salt solid such as apatite into which a peptide hormone or the like is embedded is placed so that a metal or the like is coated therewith, in which the inorganic salt solid is provided by controlled delay co-precipitation or the like in an unstable supersaturated calcium phosphate solution, and the medical instrument is exposed to ionizing radiation at a dose sufficient for sterilization.

Methods for improving the antibacterial characteristics of biomedical implants and related implants manufactured according to such methods. In some implementations, a biomedical implant comprising a silicon nitride ceramic material may be subjected to a surface roughening treatment so as to increase a surface roughness of at least a portion of the biomedical implant to a roughness profile having an arithmetic average of at least about 500 nm Ra. In some implementations, a coating may be applied to a biomedical implant. Such a coating may comprise a silicon nitride ceramic material, and may be applied instead of, or in addition to, the surface roughening treatment process.

A glass ceramic manufactured by sequentially performing the processes of melting and thermal decomposition, water quenching and sintering of a glass composite. The glass ceramic includes 38 wt % to 49 wt % CaO, 41 wt % to 52 wt % SiO.sub.2 and 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % P.sub.2O.sub.5. The glass composite includes a glass component and P.sub.2O.sub.5, and the glass component includes CaCO.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 and does not include an alkali metal oxide. The melting and thermal composition temperature is from 1350° C. to 1650° C. The sintering temperature is from 750° C. to 1050° C. By the combination of CaO, SiO.sub.2 and P.sub.2O.sub.5 and the control of the contents of CaO, SiO.sub.2 and P.sub.2O.sub.5 within the aforementioned ranges, and the glass ceramic contains no alkali metal oxide, the glass ceramic has good mechanical strength and low cytotoxicity.

Methods and systems for manufacturing a ceramic or glass material component supersaturated in nitrogen are disclosed. The method for manufacturing a component typically comprises receiving the ceramic or glass material within a containment vessel; simultaneously heating and applying isostatic pressure to the ceramic or glass material within the containment vessel to a first temperature and a first pressure using pressurizing nitrogen gas; holding the first temperature and the first pressure for a period of time; cooling the ceramic or glass material within the containment vessel to a second temperature while maintaining the first pressure; and depressurizing the containment vessel to a second pressure.

A glass, glass ceramic, or ceramic bead is described, with an internal porous scaffold microstructure that is surrounded be an amorphous shield. The shield serves to protect the internal porous microstructure of the shield while increasing the overall strength of the porous microstructure and improve the flowability of the beads either by themselves or in devices such as biologically degradable putty that would be used in bone or soft tissue augmentation or regeneration. The open porosity present inside the bead will allow for enhanced degradability in-vivo as compared to solid particles or spheres and also promote the growth of tissues including but not limited to all types of bone, soft tissue, blood vessels and nerves.

An antibacterial composition, includes: a silicate-based glass material having a composition of: 55-70 wt. % SiO.sub.2, 0-10 wt % B.sub.2O.sub.3, 3-18 wt. % P.sub.2O.sub.5, 0-10 wt. % A1.sub.20.sub.3, 0-5 wt. % Li.sub.2O, 12-30 wt. % Na.sub.2O, 0-15 wt. % K.sub.2O, 0-10 wt. % MgO, 1-15 wt. % CaO, 2-20 wt. % MO, and 15-35 wt. % R.sub.2O, such that MO is the sum of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO, such that R.sub.2O is the sum of Na.sub.2O, K.sub.2O, Li.sub.2O, and Rb.sub.2O, and such that the silicate-based glass material can achieve a 6-log kill rate of at least one of E. coli, P. gingivalis, or S. mutans bacteria.

Methods for improving the antibacterial and/or bone-forming characteristics of biomedical implants and related implants manufactured according to such methods. In some implementations, a biomedical implant may comprise a composite of a silicon nitride ceramic powder dispersed within a poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) or a poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK) substrate material. In some implementations, the biomedical implant may be 3D printed.