Method for producing biocorrodible magnesium alloy implant

Abstract

A method forms an implant with a base body made of a biocorrodible magnesium alloy. The methods make magnesium alloy that contains a plurality of statistically distributed particles, with one or more of the elements Y, Zr, Mn, Sc, Fe, Ni, Co, W, Pt and noble earths with the atomic numbers 57 to 71, or the particles comprise alloys or compounds containing one or more of the elements mentioned. The mean distance of the particles from each other is smaller than the hundredfold mean particle diameter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing an implant having a base body comprising a biocorrodible magnesium alloy, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
 (i) providing a blank made of the biocorrodible magnesium alloy;   (ii) applying particles having the above-mentioned composition to the blank, the particles comprising one or more of the elements Y, Zr, Mn, Sc, Fe, Ni, Co, W, Pt, and noble earths with the atomic numbers from 57 to 71, or alloys, or compounds containing one or more of these elements; and   (iii) melting the magnesium alloy in the near-surface region of the blank to result in the magnesium alloy containing a plurality of statistically distributed particles, wherein the mean distance of the particles from each other is smaller than the hundredfold mean particle diameter, and the particles are incorporated into a surface or into a near-surface region of the base body.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the particles consist of one or more of the elements Y, Zr, Mn, Sc, Fe, Ni, Co, W, Pt, and noble earths with the numbers 57 to 71, or alloys, or compounds consisting one or more of these elements. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the particles comprises applying an adhesion enhancing polymer to a surface of the bland, applying the particles in powder form to the surface, and shaking the surface to achieve a homogenous distribution of the particles. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , and further including the step of providing the particles in a quantity to result in the number of the particles in the volume of the base body to range between 1×10 3  and 1×10 9  per mm 3 , and wherein the particles have a mean diameter of 1 nm to 10 μm. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of providing the particles in a quantity and are distributed to result in a mean distance between the particles being between 200 nm and 100 μm.