Aluminum oxide coated implants and components

Abstract

The invention provides a medical implant device or component thereof comprising a metal substrate, an intermediate coating, and an outer coating of aluminum oxide, as well as a method of making such a medical implant device or component thereof.

1 . A medical implant device or component thereof comprising: 
 (a) a metal substrate other than steel that comprises a surface,    (b) an intermediate coating of a material other than aluminum oxide adhered to the substrate surface, and    (c) an outer coating of aluminum oxide deposited by physical vapor deposition onto at least a portion of the intermediate coating.    
   
   
       2 . The medical implant device or component of  claim 1 , wherein the outer coating comprises α-aluminum oxide.  
   
   
       3 . The medical implant device or component of  claim 1 , wherein the metal substrate comprises a biocompatible metal or metal alloy selected from the group consisting of cobalt, cobalt alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The medical implant device or component of  claim 1 , wherein the metal substrate comprises cobalt chromium alloy or a titanium alloy.  
   
   
       5 . The medical implant device or component of  claim 1 , wherein the metal substrate comprises Co-28Cr-6Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5V, or Ti-6Al-4V.  
   
   
       6 . The medical implant device or component of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), chromium aluminum nitride (CrAlN), aluminum nitride (AlN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), titanium nitride (TiN), chromium oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ), titanium aluminide (TiAl), chromium nitride (CrN), and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The medical implant device or component of  claim 1 , wherein the device is a prosthetic device for use in a knee joint, hip joint, elbow joint, shoulder joint, ankle joint, or an articulating vertebral segment.  
   
   
       8 . The medical implant device or component of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the device is a knee or hip replacement prosthesis that comprises a femoral portion,    the femoral portion comprises a bearing surface for contacting (i) a tibial proximal articular surface or (ii) an acetabular cup, and    at least a portion of the bearing surface is the substrate surface.    
   
   
       9 . The medical implant of  claim 8 , wherein 
 the metal substrate comprises Co-28Cr-6Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5V, or Ti-6Al-4V, and    the intermediate coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), chromium aluminum nitride (CrAlN), aluminum nitride (AlN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), titanium nitride (TiN), chromium oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ), titanium aluminide (TiAl), chromium nitride (CrN), and combinations thereof.    
   
   
       10 . The medical implant of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the outer coating comprises aluminum oxide that is at least 1 μm thick, and    adherence of the outer coating to the substrate surface is improved by the intermediate coating relative to without the intermediate coating.    
   
   
       11 . A method of making a medical implant device or component thereof, the method comprising: 
 (i) providing a medical implant device or component thereof that comprises a metal substrate other than steel, the substrate comprising a surface,    (ii) applying an intermediate coating of a material other than aluminum oxide to the substrate surface, and    (iii) depositing an outer coating of aluminum oxide by physical vapor deposition onto at least a portion of the intermediate coating.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the outer coating comprises α-aluminum oxide.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal substrate comprises a biocompatible metal or metal alloy selected from selected from the group consisting of cobalt, cobalt alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal substrate comprises cobalt chromium alloy or a titanium alloy.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal substrate comprises Co-28Cr-6Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5V, or Ti-6Al-4V.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the intermediate coating includes a material selected from the group consisting of titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), chromium aluminum nitride (CrAlN), aluminum nitride (AlN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), titanium nitride (TiN), chromium oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ), titanium aluminide (TiAl), chromium nitride (CrN), and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the device is a prosthetic device for use in a hip joint, knee joint, elbow joint, shoulder joint, ankle joint, or an articulating vertebral segment.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein 
 the device is a (i) knee or (ii) hip replacement prosthesis that comprises a femoral portion,    the femoral portion comprises a bearing surface for contacting (i) a tibial proximal articular surface or (ii) an acetabular cup, and    at least a portion of the bearing surface is the substrate surface.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein 
 the metal substrate comprises Co-28Cr-6Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5V, or Ti-6Al-4V, and    the intermediate coating includes a material selected from the group consisting of titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), chromium aluminum nitride (CrAlN), aluminum nitride (AlN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), titanium nitride (TiN), chromium oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ), titanium aluminide (TiAl), and combinations thereof.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein 
 the outer coating comprises aluminum oxide that is at least 1 μm thick, and adherence of the outer coating to the substrate surface is improved by the intermediate coating relative to without the intermediate coating.