Disclosed are compositions, methods and processes for fabricating and using a device or other implement including a surface or surfaces having a nanoscale or microscale layer or coating of Si—O—N—P. These coatings and/or layers may be continuous, on the surface or discontinuous (e.g., patterned, grooved), and may be provided on silica surfaces, metal (e.g., titanium), ceramic, and combination/hybrid materials. Methods of producing an implantable device, such as a load-bearing or non-load-bearing device, such as a bone or other structural implant device (load-bearing), are also presented. Craniofacial, osteogenic and disordered bone regeneration (osteoporosis) uses and applications of devices that include at least one surface that is treated to include a nanoscale or microscale layer or coating of Si—O—N—P are also provided. Methods of using the treated and/or coated devices to enhance enhanced vascularization and healing at a treated surface of a device in vivo, is also presented.

An implant comprises a substrate and a coating on a surface of the substrate, and the coating comprises silicon nitride and has a thickness of from about 1 to about 15 micrometer. A method of providing the implant comprises coating a surface of the implant substrate with the coating comprising silicon nitride and having a thickness of from about 1 to about 15 micrometer by physical vapour deposition.

An orthopedic implant having a subsurface level ceramic layer generally includes a base material, an intermix layer molecularly integrated with the base material that includes a mixture of the base material and a plurality of subsurface level ceramic-based molecules implanted into the base material, and an integrated ceramic surface layer molecularly integrated with and extending from the intermix layer forming at least part of a molecular structure of an outer surface of the orthopedic implant. The integrated ceramic surface layer and the base material thereafter cooperate to sandwich the intermix layer in between.

The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated ceramic surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the at least two different vaporized metalloid or transition metal atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a collision therein to form ceramic molecules, and driving the ceramic molecules with the ion beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the ceramic molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated ceramic surface layer.

Disclosed herein are methods for functionalizing the surface of a biomedical implant. The biomedical implant may be a zirconia-toughened alumina implant surface functionalized with silicon nitride powder for promoting osteogenesis.

Disclosed are compositions, methods and processes for fabricating and using a device or other implement including a surface or surfaces having a nanoscale or microscale layer or coating of SiONP. These coatings and/or layers may be continuous, on the surface or discontinuous (e.g., patterned, grooved), and may be provided on silica surfaces, metal (e.g., titanium), ceramic, and combination/hybrid materials. Methods of producing an implantable device, such as a load-bearing or non-load-bearing device, such as a bone or other structural implant device (load-bearing), are also presented. Craniofacial, osteogenic and disordered bone regeneration (osteoporosis) uses and applications of devices that include at least one surface that is treated to include a nanoscale or microscale layer or coating of SiONP are also provided. Methods of using the treated and/or coated devices to enhance enhanced vascularization and healing at a treated surface of a device in vivo, is also presented.

Disclosed are devices, systems and/or methods for use in the surgical treatment of vertebrae and/or other bones, particularly implants and/or related devices comprising silicon nitride in some of all of the implant or device body, including portions, layers and/or surface coatings thereof, for use in spinal surgeries and/or other orthopedic procedures.

The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, mixing nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the mixture of nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a gas-phase reaction between the nitrogen gas and the vaporized silicon atoms to form reacted precipitate silicon nitride molecules, and driving the precipitate silicon nitride molecules with the same beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the precipitate silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer.

The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, mixing nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the mixture of nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a gas-phase reaction between the nitrogen gas and the vaporized silicon atoms to form reacted precipitate silicon nitride molecules, and driving the precipitate silicon nitride molecules with the same beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the precipitate silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer.

The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, mixing nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the mixture of nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a gas-phase reaction between the nitrogen gas and the vaporized silicon atoms to form reacted precipitate silicon nitride molecules, and driving the precipitate silicon nitride molecules with the same beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the precipitate silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer.