Method for manufacturing an articular prosthesis implant using a ceramic imprint

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for manufacturing an articular prosthesis implant using a mould comprising a ceramic imprint (1) moved by a piston (2), the ceramic imprint (1) pressing the thermoplastic material introduced into the mould.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an articular prosthesis implant (3) comprising the following steps: heating to a malleability temperature a thermoplastic material used to form at least partially the articular prosthesis implant (3); pressing the thermoplastic material inside a cavity of a mould by using a ceramic imprint (1) moved by a piston (2), so that the thermoplastic material flows inside the cavity of the mould and takes the shape of the ceramic imprint (1); allowing the thermoplastic material to cool down; extracting the articular prosthesis implant (3) obtained from the cavity of the mould; wherein the ceramic imprint includes a ceramic surface designed to come in contact with the pressed thermoplastic material to form the articular prosthesis implant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from a material selected from the group consisting of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a metal base (5), against which the thermoplastic material is pressed, is introduced into the cavity of the mould.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic imprint is made from a material selected from the group consisting of alumina, composite, zirconia, and ceramic zirconium oxide.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the piston and the ceramic imprint form a monobloc element.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic imprint includes a stop against which the piston presses during the movement of the ceramic imprint.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of introducing a metal base into the cavity of the ceramic imprint prior to the pressing step, wherein the thermoplastic material is pressed against the metal base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of an imprint according to a first embodiment of the device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the imprint shown on FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of the imprint and of the piston according to the first embodiment of the device according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the imprint and of the piston shown on FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the imprint and of the piston shown on FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of an imprint and of a piston according to a second embodiment of the device according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the imprint and of the piston shown on FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an articular prosthesis implant obtained; and

(10) FIG. 9 is a side view of a metal base of the implant shown on FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIGS. 1 to 7 show a ceramic imprint 1 and a piston 2 which are parts of the device for manufacturing an articular prosthesis implant according to the invention, an example of an implant 3 obtained being shown on FIGS. 8 and 9.

(12) The device for manufacturing an articular prosthesis implant according to the invention comprises: at least a mould comprising a ceramic imprint 1; at least a piston 2 configured to move the ceramic imprint 1 between at least two predefined positions, so that in one of these positions, the ceramic imprint 1 presses a thermoplastic material previously introduced into the mould cavity and so that, in the other position, the ceramic imprint 1 is not in contact with said thermoplastic material.

(13) The ceramic imprint 1 has a surface 11 intended to come into contact with the pressed thermoplastic material so as to form the articular implant 3. It also has a stop 12 against which the piston 2 presses when the imprint 1 is moved.

(14) The piston 2 controls directly the movement of the ceramic imprint 1 inside the mould cavity so as to press the thermoplastic material to form at least partially the implant 3.

(15) According to a second embodiment of the manufacturing device (FIGS. 6 and 7), the imprint 1 and the piston 2 are made of ceramic and are monobloc.

(16) FIG. 8 shows an example of an implant 3 thus formed. According to this example, the pressed thermoplastic material forms the sliding plate 4 of the implant 3, this plate being overmoulded on a metal base 5 (FIG. 9) previously placed in the mould of the manufacturing device. As an alternative, it is quite possible to consider obtaining an implant made entirely from the pressed thermoplastic material inside the mould.

(17) The device for manufacturing an articular prosthesis implant 3 according to the invention comprises the following steps: heating to a malleability temperature a thermoplastic material used to form at least partially the implant 3; inside a mould cavity and using a ceramic imprint 1 of the mould moved by a piston 2, pressing the thermoplastic material so that this material flows inside the mould cavity and takes the shape of the imprint 1; allowing the thermoplastic material to cool down; extracting the implant obtained from the mould.

(18) Advantageously, when a metal base 5 is required to form the implant 3, the metal base 5 is introduced into the mould cavity and the thermoplastic material is pressed against this base.

(19) Any type of thermoplastic material known by those skilled in the art can be used, for example: ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) or polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) and their derivatives.

(20) Any type of ceramic known by those skilled in the art can be used to form the imprint 1 and the piston 2, for example: alumina, composite, zirconia or oxynium.

(21) The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and other embodiments will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.