Laser processing apparatus, osseointegration method, implant material, and implant-material fabrication method

Abstract

An apparatus for integrating bone and implant material and a method for fabricating an implant material are provided. The apparatus includes a laser applying unit that applies the laser beam to a junction of the bone and the implant material to drill a hole in the bone and melt the implant material, a processing-condition setting unit that sets a processing condition for at least one of the bone and the implant material, and a control unit that controls an application of the laser beam based on the processing condition. The method includes burning a bone by applying a heat source to the bone, foamed-layer forming including melting sintered implant material by applying the heat source to the implant material in a gas atmosphere produced by burning the bone, and forming a foamed layer on melted implant material in which foamed air bubbles are confined and coagulated.

1 . An apparatus for performing a laser processing on at least one of bone and implant material by applying a laser beam to at least one of the bone and the implant material, the apparatus comprising:
 a laser applying unit that applies the laser beam to a junction of the bone and the implant material to drill a hole in the bone and melt the implant material so that melted implant material fills the hole drilled in the bone;   a processing-condition setting unit that sets a processing condition for at least one of the bone and the implant material; and   a control unit that controls an application of the laser beam based on the processing condition set by the processing-condition setting unit.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processing-state detecting unit that detects a processing state of at least one of the bone and the implant material, wherein   the processing-condition setting unit sets the processing condition based on the processing state detected by the processing-state detecting unit.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 the laser applying unit drills the hole in either one of the bone and the implant material by applying the laser beam to either one of the bone and the implant material,   the processing-state detecting unit detects a processing state of either one of the bone and the implant material at a time of drilling the hole,   the processing-condition setting unit sets the processing condition for either one of the bone and the implant material at the time of time of drilling the hole, and   the control unit further controls the application of the laser beam at the time of time of drilling the hole.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes an energy-level control unit that controls energy level of the laser light emitted from the laser applying unit. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes a laser-changeover control unit that controls a switch of a type of the laser light emitted from the laser applying unit. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes a focal-point control unit that controls a focal point of the laser light emitted from the laser applying unit. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit further controls a beam-on time of the laser light emitted from the laser applying unit. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processing-state detecting unit includes a luminance detecting unit that detects luminance of at least one of the bone and the implant material, and   the processing-condition setting unit sets the processing condition based on the luminance detected by the luminance detecting unit.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processing-state detecting unit includes a time counting unit that counts a laser-applying time for applying the laser beam to at least one of the bone and the implant material, and   the processing-condition setting unit sets the processing condition based on the laser-applying time counted by the time counting unit.   
     
     
         10 . An implant material comprising:
 a base layer made of a molded dense substrate; and   a foamed layer that is formed on a junction of the base layer and bone by performing a predetermined surface treatment on the junction in a gas atmosphere generated by burning the bone, in which foamed air bubbles are confined and coagulated.   
     
     
         11 . The implant material according to  claim 10 , wherein a surface of the foamed layer is lapped or ground from a surface on which the surface treatment is performed, so that surfaces of the air bubbles are exposed. 
     
     
         12 . The implant material according to  claim 10 , wherein the foamed layer includes a plurality of types of layers with at least one of different sizes and different densities of the air bubbles. 
     
     
         13 . The implant material according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the base layer is apatite, and   the foamed layer is foamed apatite.   
     
     
         14 . The implant material according to  claim 10 , wherein the base layer is a non-foamed layer. 
     
     
         15 . The implant material according to  claim 14 , wherein the foamed layer is made by applying a heat source to the junction of the base layer that is the non-foamed layer. 
     
     
         16 . A method of fabricating implant material, the method comprising:
 burning a bone by applying a heat source to the bone; and   foamed-layer forming including
 melting sintered implant material by applying the heat source to the implant material in a gas atmosphere produced by burning the bone, and 
 forming a foamed layer on melted implant material in which foamed air bubbles are confined and coagulated. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 exposing surfaces of the air bubbles by lapping or grinding a surface of the foamed layer from a surface on which the heat source is applied.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the foamed-layer forming further includes forming a foamed layer by controlling an application of the heat source, the foamed layer including a plurality of types of layers with at least one of different sizes and different densities of the air bubbles according to a cell infiltration characteristic or a strength required for the foamed layer. 
     
     
         19 . A method of fabricating implant material, the method comprising:
 burning a bone by applying a heat source to the bone; and   foamed-layer forming including
 sintering implant material in a gas atmosphere produced by burning the bone, and 
 forming a foamed layer on the implant material in which foamed air bubbles are confined and coagulated. 
   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for fabricating implant material, the apparatus forming a newly processed layer on implant material made of molded dense substrate by applying a heat source on the implant material, the apparatus comprising:
 a heat-source applying unit that burns a bone arranged adjacent to the implant material by the heat source, melts a surface-modification area to be subjected to a surface modification on the implant material by applying the heat source to the surface-modification area, and foams and sinters the implant material in the surface-modification area in a gas atmosphere generated by burning the bone;   a processing-condition setting unit that sets a processing condition for the implant material when performing a surface modification process on the implant material; and   a control unit that controls an application of the heat source when performing the surface modification process on the implant material based on the processing condition set by the processing-condition setting unit.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a processing-state detecting unit that detects a processing state of the implant material when performing the surface modification on the implant material, wherein   the processing-condition setting unit sets the processing condition based on the processing state detected by the processing-state detecting unit.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the control unit includes an energy-level control unit that controls energy level of the heat source. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the control unit includes a heat-source changeover control unit that controls a switch of a type of the heat source. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the control unit includes a focal-point control unit that controls a focal point of the heat source. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the control unit further controls a heating-on time of the heat source. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the processing-state detecting unit includes a luminance detecting unit that detects luminance of the implant material, and   the processing-condition setting unit sets the processing condition based on the luminance detected by the luminance detecting unit.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the processing-state detecting unit includes a time counting unit that counts a heat-source-applying time for applying the heat source to the implant material, and   the processing-condition setting unit sets the processing condition based on the heat-source-applying time counted by the time counting unit.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the implant material is apatite. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the heat source is at least one of a laser beam, a plasma arc, and an electron beam. 
     
     
         30 . A laser processing apparatus comprising:
 a drilling unit that drills a hole in a bone by applying a laser beam to the bone;   an integrating unit that applies a laser beam to implant material arranged close to the bone to melt the implant material, and integrates the bone and the implant material by filling melted and expanded implant material in the hole drilled in the bone.   
     
     
         31 . The laser processing apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein
 the implant material is arranged below the bone,   the drilling unit drills the hole towards the implant material from a top surface of the bone by applying the laser beam to the top surface of the bone, and   the integrating unit melts the implant material by applying the laser beam to the implant material through the hole.