Abstract: An orthopaedic implant can replace a joint in a patient. The orthopaedic implant includes a first component having a first component surface and a second component having a second component surface. The first component surface and the second component surface mate at an interface. The first component surface includes a metal substrate, a nanotextured surface, a ceramic coating, and a transition zone. The nanotextured surface is disposed directly upon the metal substrate and has surface features in a size of 10?9 meters. The ceramic coating conforms to the nanotextured surface and includes a plurality of bio-active sites configured to attract and retain calcium and phosphorous cations. The transition zone is disposed between the metal substrate and the ceramic coating. The transition zone includes a concentration gradient transitioning from the metal substrate to the ceramic coating and there is no distinct interface between the metal substrate and the ceramic coating.

Abstract: An orthopaedic implant can replace a joint in a patient. The orthopaedic implant includes a first component having a first component surface and a second component having a second component surface. The first component surface and the second component surface mate at an interface. The first component surface includes a metal substrate, a nanotextured surface, a ceramic coating, and a transition zone. The nanotextured surface is disposed directly upon the metal substrate and has surface features in a size of 10?9 meters. The ceramic coating conforms to the nanotextured surface and includes a plurality of bio-active sites configured to attract and retain calcium and phosphorous cations. The transition zone is disposed between the metal substrate and the ceramic coating. The transition zone includes a concentration gradient transitioning from the metal substrate to the ceramic coating and there is no distinct interface between the metal substrate and the ceramic coating.

Abstract: Mechanical devices such as prosthetic knees, hips, shoulders, fingers, elbows, wrists, ankles, fingers and spinal elements when implanted in the body and used as articulating elements are subjected to wear and corrosion. These prosthetic implants are usually fabricated in modular form from combinations of metallic materials such as stainless steels, Co—Cr—Mo alloys, and Ti—Al—V alloys; plastics such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); and ceramics such as alumina and zirconia. As the articulating surfaces of these materials wear and corrode, products including plastic wear debris, metallic wear particles, and metallic ions will be released into the body, transported to and absorbed by bone, blood, the lymphatic tissue, and other organ systems. The polyethylene wear particles have been shown to produce long term bone loss and loosening of the implant.

Abstract: Mechanical devices such as prosthetic knees, hips, shoulders, fingers, elbows, wrists, ankles, fingers and spinal elements when implanted in the body and used as articulating elements are subjected to wear and corrosion. These prosthetic implants are usually fabricated in modular form from combinations of metallic materials such as stainless steels, Co—Cr—Mo alloys, and Ti—Al—V alloys; plastics such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); and ceramics such as alumina and zirconia. As the articulating surfaces of these materials wear and corrode, products including plastic wear debris, metallic wear particles, and metallic ions will be released into the body, transported to and absorbed by bone, blood, the lymphatic tissue, and other organ systems. The polyethylene wear particles have been shown to produce long term bone loss and loosening of the implant.

Abstract: A continuous, uninterrupted two-step treatment process capable of forming nanometer scale physical structures on the surface of articles fabricated from metallic, ceramic, glass, or plastic materials, and then depositing a thin conformal coating on the nanostructured surface such that the physical structures previously produced are neither masked nor are the dimensions of the physical structures substantially altered. In an additional embodiment, a thicker coating can be grown from the thin conformal coating which itself can be nanostructured as it is deposited. In this case adhesion of the thicker coating is not dependent upon the use of conventional surface pretreatments such as machining, chemical etching, or abrasive blasting. Surface texturing may be performed by ion beam sputtering, and ion assisted coating forms the thin conformal coating, and thicker coating if desired. The treatment process is useful for improving the mechanical, catalytic, chemical, or biological activity of the surfaces so treated.

Abstract: A dental or orthopedic implantable prosthetic device (1) which has a bioactive surface of an alloyed layer of material having calcium phosphate compounds. The device is formed by placing a suitable substrate of biocompatible material in a vacuum chamber (10), the substrate is cleaned by ion beam sputtering (18a) and then ion beam sputtering (14a) evolves and deposits (16a) bioactive material onto the surface of the device. The bioactive layer is mixed into the surface forming an alloyed zone by augmenting ion beam (18a) and is grown out to a selected thickness while being continuously bombarded by the augmenting ion beam.

Abstract: A dental or orthopedic implantable prosthetic device (1) which has a bioactive surface of an alloyed layer of material having calcium phosphate compounds. The device is formed by placing a suitable substrate of biocompatible material in a vacuum chamber (10), the substrate is cleaned by ion beam sputtering (18a) and then ion beam sputtering (14a) evolves and deposits (16a) bioactive material onto the surface of the device. The bioactive layer is mixed into the surface forming an alloyed zone by augmenting ion beam (18a) and is grown out to a selected thickness while being continuously bombarded by the augmenting ion beam.

Abstract: A medical device which is manually operable to draw a vacuum using a piston and cylinder combination may be used for creating a vacuum in the cup of a birth extraction device or to withdraw fluids from a body cavity or perform biopsies with a hollow needle. The structure includes a closed loop at the remote end of the cylinder which allows the device to be manipulated by one hand and it may include check valves to prevent any fluid withdrawn from the body from being reinjected into the body cavity or vessel by location of check valves in a withdrawal duct and a drainage port. The same device may be used for injecting fluids into a body cavity and may include structure between the loop and cylinder to apply force to the piston to discharge fluids through a needle attached to the remote end of the cylinder.

Abstract: A medical device which is manually operable to draw a vacuum using a piston and cylinder combination may be used for creating a vacuum in the cup of a birth extraction device or to withdraw fluids from a body cavity or perform biopsies. The structure includes a closed loop at the remote end of the cylinder which allows the device to be manipulated by one hand and it may include check valves to prevent any fluid withdrawn from the body from being reinjected into the body cavity or vessel by location of check valves in a withdrawal duct and a drainage port. The same device may be used for injecting fluids into a body cavity and may include structure between the loop and cylinder to apply force to the piston to discharge fluids through a needle attached to the remote end of the cylinder.

Abstract: A laser light energy powered device for providing directed emission of laser light energy has a blunt, i.e., non-sharp, laser light emitting tip element. The tip element is preferably formed as a slab defined by two pairs of parallel sides, a proximal end face for receiving laser light energy conveyed thereto through an optic fiber, and a laser light energy emitting curved-sided distal end surface. The curved side surface is contiguous at one end with one of the elongate parallel sides defining the tip element. All surfaces are smooth and polished in one embodiment and laser light energy is emitted therefrom in a first portion focused generally forwardly of the distal end of the tip element and in a second portion emitted laterally of the end portion of the tip element.

Abstract: A thin layer of a material having a refractive index that varies non-abruptly between the refractive indexes of a first element and a second element in an optical device significantly reduces Fresnel losses in transmitting light from the first element into the second element. The layer is readily created by either an ion beam mixing process or by an ion beam enhanced deposition (IBED) process, forming a region of non-abruptly varying refractive index in one of the elements at an interface therebetween. A selected material is thus securely bonded into the laser light-receiving element which may conveniently be made of a material such as YAG, silica, sapphire, zirconia, quartz, silicon, germanium, zinc sulfide or zinc selenide, depending on the application at hand. In another aspect of this invention, the tip element is provided with an additional layer over the first layer to provide added protection thereto.

Abstract: A thin layer of a material having a refractive index that varies non-abruptly between the refractive indices of an optic fiber and a tip element in a laser device significantly reduces Fresnel losses where the optic fiber meets the tip element. The layer is readily created by either an ion beam mixing process or by an ion beam enhanced deposition (IBED) process for forming a layer of varying refractive index and comprising a ceramic material such as silica, very securely bonded into the laser light energy receiving end of the tip element which may conveniently be made of a ceramic material such as YAG, silica or sapphire. Greater utility of such a tip element is realized by providing an ohmic heating layer over a part of the tip element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a low temperature, dual beam vacuum deposition process for forming a hard, stress reduced, ballistically alloyed film such as diamond onto a substrate.

Abstract: The invention discloses a dual ion beam ballistic alloying process for forming a film such as diamond onto a substrate, which comprises the steps of: (a) cleaning the surface of the substrate with a first energy beam of inert atoms; (b) depositing a layer of a desired non-hydrocarbon substance on the substrate with a low energy, sputtered atomic beam; (c) simultaneously exposing the substrate to said first energy beam of inert atoms with a high energy to grow a ballistically alloyed layer having a thickness of about 10-2000 .ANG.; and (d) reducing the energy level of the first, high energy beam to cause the growth of the layer of said substance on said substrate to a final desired thickness.