US 11,717,597 B2
Surface alloyed medical implant
Vivek Pawar, Germantown, TN (US); Donald E. Kramer, Memphis, TN (US); Carolyn L. Weaver, Memphis, TN (US); and Shilesh C. Jani, Germantown, TN (US)
Assigned to Smith & Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN (US)
Filed by Smith & Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN (US)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/860,471.
Application 16/860,471 is a division of application No. 12/811,672, granted, now 10,675,384, previously published as PCT/US2009/030021, filed on Jan. 2, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/019,075, filed on Jan. 4, 2008.
Prior Publication US 2020/0254145 A1, Aug. 13, 2020
Int. Cl. A61L 27/50 (2006.01); A61L 27/04 (2006.01); A61L 27/30 (2006.01)
CPC A61L 27/50 (2013.01) [A61L 27/04 (2013.01); A61L 27/306 (2013.01); A61L 2400/18 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for forming a medical implant, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate comprising a first biocompatible metal;
diffusing at least a second biocompatible metal into the first biocompatible metal to form a surface alloyed zone, the diffusion occurring at least at the surface of said substrate; and
diffusion hardening at least a portion of said surface alloyed zone to form a hardened zone, wherein at least a portion of said hardened zone is within at least a portion of said surface alloyed zone.