Antimicrobial material for implanting in bones

Abstract

The invention relates to an antimicrobial material for implanting in bones and for coating or producing an implant or an implantable medical device, whereby particles formed from an antimicrobial material are remotely dispersed inside a matrix material that forms a matrix when hardened. In order to improve the compatibility of the antimicrobial material, the invention provides that the metal is formed from aggregates of primary particles having an average particle size ranging from 10 to 100 nm.

1 . An antimicrobial powder comprising discrete aggregates formed from an antimicrobial metal, wherein the aggregates are highly porous and are formed of primary particles connected together by necks, the primary particles having an average size between 10 and 100 nm.  
     
     
         2 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 1 , wherein the aggregates have an average aggregate size of from 1 to 20 μm.  
     
     
         3 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 2 , wherein the aggregates have an average aggregate size of from 10 to 20 μm.  
     
     
         4 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 1 ,  2 , or  3 , wherein the aggregates have a surface area of from 3 to 6 m 2  per gram.  
     
     
         5 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 1 ,  2 , or  3 , wherein the aggregates have a porosity of up to 95%.  
     
     
         6 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 1 , wherein the aggregates are produced by inert gas vaporization and condensation.  
     
     
         7 . The antimicrobial metal powder of  claim 6 , wherein the aggregates are produced under a pressure of from 10 to 100 mbar of inert gas.  
     
     
         8 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 1 , wherein the metal is formed from one or more of the following components: Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Ir, Sn, Cu, Sb, Zn.  
     
     
         9 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 1 , wherein the metal has an essentially undisordered lattice structure.  
     
     
         10 . The antimicrobial powder as in  claim 1 ,  2 , or  3 , wherein said primary particles have a generally spherical shape.  
     
     
         11 . An antimicrobial material including a matrix material made of a polymer and containing the antimicrobial powder according to one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3 .  
     
     
         12 . The antimicrobial material of  claim 11 , wherein the polymer comprises an acrylic ester and/or a methacrylic ester.