Nano Materials and Structures for Superior Implants (Nanoplants)

多年来，RCUK在拉夫堡大学资助的多个项目提供了与制造具有出色性能的纳米结构材料相关的重要前景知识产权和技术诀窍，超过了与能源、电子安全，特别是医疗保健部门相关的一些商业同行。具体地说，已经证明，即使在低密度组分下，通过将纳米颗粒尺寸保持在180 nm以下，也可以显著提高氧化锆基陶瓷的耐水热老化(HTA)性能。这与价值约50亿美元的髋关节置换市场高度相关，在这个市场上，对金属和聚合物部件中的毒性/磨损碎片的担忧使得全陶瓷解决方案越来越有吸引力。HTA降解(在水环境中，四方氧化锆不受欢迎地转变为较弱的单斜晶型)是氧化锆陶瓷在生物医学领域使用的致命弱点，也是2000年左右氧化锆人工髋关节置换手术广为人知失败的原因。因此，当HTA被反击时，新的机会就会打开。这项拟议的技术(包括新颖的纳米悬浮控制、造粒和微波辅助混合加热以及闪速烧结系统；将考虑使用氧化锆增韧氧化铝和氧化锆陶瓷)旨在提供非常小的氧化锆颗粒，这将有助于电流顺应性(例如，ISO 13356，ISO633-3)，并通过成倍提高多孔和致密梯度氧化锆基结构的抗高温断裂性能，开辟新型全陶瓷人工髋关节假体。该方法也将适用于陶瓷-金属梯度种植结构，并进行适当的修改。在陶瓷元件生产的所有阶段保持纳米尺寸，对于提供目标终端特性至关重要，这些特性将有助于在日益老龄化的人口中保持健康和生活质量。这将通过开发植入物结构(适用于髋关节/膝盖假体、手指关节以及颌骨和头骨修复)来实现，这些结构在较长时间内提供更好的行动能力，从而减少对重复手术的依赖，在某些情况下仅限于使用轮椅。

Various RCUK funded projects at Loughborough University over the years have delivered significant foreground intellectual property and technology know-how related to the fabrication of nanostructured materials with outstanding properties, surpassing some of the commercial counterparts, relevant to the energy, electronic security and in particular healthcare sectors. Specifically it has been demonstrated that the hydrothermal ageing (HTA) resistance of zirconia based ceramics can be enhanced significantly by retaining a nano grain size below 180 nm even at low density components. This is highly relevant to the ~$5B hip replacement market where concerns about the toxicity / wear debris in metal and polymer components renders all-ceramic solutions increasingly attractive. HTA degradation (the unwanted conversion of tetragonal zirconia to a weaker monoclinic form in an aqueous environment) is the Achilles-heel for the use of zirconia ceramics in biomedical sector and was the reason behind the well-publicised failure of zirconia hip replacements around 2000. Thus, when HTA is countered, new opportunities open up. The proposed technology (involving novel nano-suspension control, granulation and then microwave assisted hybrid heating as well as flash sintering regimes; zirconia toughened alumina and zirconia ceramics will be considered) aims to deliver very small zirconia grain sizes that will both assist current compliance (e.g. ISO 13356, ISO 633-3) and open up novel all-ceramic hip replacements via multi-fold enhancement in HTA-resistance of porous and dense graded zirconia based structures. The methodology will be applicable to ceramic-metal graded implant structures also with suitable modifications. The retention of nano-size throughout all stages of ceramic component production is critical to delivering the target end properties that will assist the health and quality of life in a growing ageing population. This will be achieved via the development of implant structures (applicable for hip/knee prosthesis, finger joints and jaw & skull repairs) that deliver improved mobility over a longer time period thus reducing reliance on repeat surgery and in some cases confinement to use of wheelchair.