Coatings for surgical instruments

Abstract

A coated medical instrument can include a first layer bonded to a metal substrate surface of a medical instrument, a second layer bonded to the first layer, and a third layer disposed on the second layer, The first layer comprises chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), titanium (Ti), and/or niobium (Nb). The second layer comprises a nitride, oxide, carbide, carbonitride, or boride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si). The third layer comprises a nitride, oxide, carbide, boride, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or oxycarbonitride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si). Methods for making coated medical instruments are also disclosed herein.

1 . A coated medical instrument comprising:
 a first layer bonded to a metal substrate surface of a medical instrument, the first layer comprising chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), titanium (Ti), and/or niobium (Nb);   a second layer bonded to the first layer, the second layer comprising a nitride, oxide, carbide, carbonitride, or boride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si); and   a third layer disposed on the second layer, the third layer comprising a nitride, oxide, carbide, boride, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or oxycarbonitride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si).   
     
     
         2 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first layer is 0.01 to 1.0 microns thick;   the second layer is 1.0 to 5.0 microns thick; and/or   the third layer is 0.01 to 5.0 microns thick.   
     
     
         3 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises metallic Cr, Hf, Ti, or Nb or a nitride or oxide of Cr, Hf, Ti, or Nb. 
     
     
         4 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises a nitride or oxide of Cr, Hf, Nb, W, Ti, Al, Zr, or Si. 
     
     
         5 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the third layer comprises Ti. 
     
     
         6 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the third layer is blue, grey, or black. 
     
     
         7 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the metal substrate surface is stainless steel. 
     
     
         8 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a monoblock, multilayered, or gradient structure. 
     
     
         9 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first layer comprises metallic Cr and the second layer comprises a nitride or oxide of Cr;   the first layer comprises metallic Hf and the second layer comprises a nitride or oxide of Hf; or   the first layer comprises metallic Nb and the second layer comprises nitride or oxide of Nb.   
     
     
         10 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 9 , wherein the nitride or oxide of Cr, Hf, or Nb comprises a gradient. 
     
     
         11 . The coated medical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the coated medical instrument is corrosion resistant. 
     
     
         12 . A method for manufacturing a coated medical instrument comprising:
 depositing a first layer on a metal substrate surface of a medical instrument by vapor deposition, the first layer comprising chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), titanium (Ti), and/or niobium (Nb);   depositing a second layer on the first layer by vapor deposition, the second layer bonded to the first layer, and the second layer comprising a nitride, oxide, carbide, carbonitride, or boride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si); and   depositing a third layer on the second layer by vapor deposition, the third layer comprising a nitride, oxide, carbide, boride, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or oxycarbonitride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si).   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the layers is deposited by an arc process or a combination of an arc and sputter processes. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the layers is deposited at a temperature of 180 to 1,000° F. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising a reactive plasma surface cleaning-conditioning process before depositing at least one of the first, second, and third layers. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising external cleaning the metal substrate surface before depositing the first layer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further depositing the second layer using an arc and sputter process, thereby depositing a gradient in the second layer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising depositing the first and second layers in a first vapor deposition chamber and depositing the third layer in a second vapor deposition chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising cleaning and conditioning a surface of the second layer using a plasma cleaning technique before depositing the third layer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the coated medical instrument is corrosion resistant.