Bioglass fiber reinforcement polymers for additive manufacturing

Abstract

Disclosed herein are curable resins comprising solid reinforcement materials and solid material reinforced polymeric materials formed by curing the curable resins using additive manufacturing. In various implements, the solid material reinforced polymeric materials may be used in medical devices such as implants, joint replacements, graft materials, augmentation materials, prosthetic materials, etc. to treat a patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A material comprising:
 a cured resin having a first solubility; and   a reinforcement material dispersed throughout the cured resin and having a second solubility,   wherein the second solubility is at least 10 2  times greater than the first solubility in water at 25° C. and a pH of 7.   
     
     
         2 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the first solubility is 10 −2  g/L in water at 25° C. and a pH 7. 
     
     
         3 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the second solubility is in a range of 5 mg/L and 5000 mg/L in water at 25° C. and a pH of 7. 
     
     
         4 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material has a diameter of about 5 to about 500 microns (μm), a length of about 1 to about 100 mm, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material has a diameter to length ratio of between about 100000:1 and about 100:1. 
     
     
         6 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material comprises at least one of CaO and SiO 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material is bioactive. 
     
     
         8 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material increases a stiffness of the material by at least 25% to 100% relative to a stiffness of the material comprising only the cured resin. 
     
     
         9 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises:
 (i) a flexural strength from about 50 to about 600 MPa;   (ii) an elastic modulus from about 3 to about 30 GPa; and   (iii) maximum strain of between about 2.5 and about 30%, or   (iv) any combination of (i)-(iii).   
     
     
         10 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises from about 30 to about 75 wt % of the reinforcement material. 
     
     
         11 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the cured resin is cured from a curable resin having a reactive group comprising one of acrylate, methacrylate, vinyl ester, vinyl carbonate, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The material of  claim 11 , wherein the cured resin comprises urethane dimethacrylate, bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (bis-GMA), dodecandediol dimethacrylate, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The material of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material is at least one of bioglass and bioglass fiber. 
     
     
         14 . A material comprising:
 a cured resin having a first solubility; and   a bioglass dispersed throughout the cured resin and having a second solubility,   wherein the first solubility is 10 −2  g/L in water at 25° C. and a pH 7, and the second solubility is in a range of 5 mg/L and 5000 mg/L in water at 25° C. and a pH of 7.   
     
     
         15 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the bioglass has a diameter of about 5 to about 500 microns (μm), a length of about 1 to about 100 mm, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the bioglass has a diameter to length ratio of between about 100000:1 and about 100:1. 
     
     
         17 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the bioglass comprises at least one of CaO and SiO 2 . 
     
     
         18 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the bioglass increases a stiffness of the material by at least 25% to 100% relative to a stiffness of the material comprising only the cured resin. 
     
     
         19 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the material comprises:
 (i) a flexural strength from about 50 to about 600 MPa;   (ii) an elastic modulus from about 3 to about 30 GPa; and   (iii) maximum strain of between about 2.5 and about 30%, or   (iv) any combination of (i)-(iii).   
     
     
         20 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the material comprises from about 30 to about 75 wt % of the bioglass. 
     
     
         21 . A material for use in a medical device, the material comprising:
 a cured resin having a first solubility; and   a reinforcement material dispersed throughout the cured resin and having a second solubility,   wherein the second solubility is at least 10 2  times greater than the first solubility in water at 25° C. and a pH of 7.   
     
     
         22 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the reinforcement material has a diameter of about 5 to about 500 microns (μm), a length of about 1 to about 100 mm, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the reinforcement material has a diameter to length ratio of between about 100000:1 and about 100:1. 
     
     
         24 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the reinforcement material comprises at least one of CaO and SiO 2 . 
     
     
         25 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the reinforcement material is bioglass or bioglass fiber. 
     
     
         26 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the medical device comprises an implant, a joint replacement, a graft material, an augmentation material, prosthetic material or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the medical device is configured for use as an orthodontic appliance. 
     
     
         28 . The material of  claim 27 , wherein the reinforcement material increases a stiffness of the orthodontic appliance by at least 25% to at least 100% relative to a stiffness of an orthodontic appliance comprising only the cured resin. 
     
     
         29 . The material of  claim 27 , wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises an aligner shaped to receive and resiliently reposition a person's dentiton from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement. 
     
     
         30 . The material of  claim 27 , wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises an aligner shaped to receive and resiliently reposition a person's dentiton from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement, and wherein the aligner is one of a series of aligners configured to reposition the person's dentition from an initial arrangement toward a target arrangement. 
     
     
         31 . The material of  claim 27 , wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises a palatal expander shaped to engage with and exert expansion forces on a person's palate. 
     
     
         32 . The material of  claim 27 , wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises a palatal expander shaped to engage with and exert expansion forces on a person's palate, and the palatal expander is one of a series of incremental palatal expanders configured to expand the person's palate from an initial arrangement toward a target arrangement. 
     
     
         33 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the material comprises:
 (i) a flexural strength from about 50 to about 600 MPa;   (ii) an elastic modulus from about 5 to about 30 GPa; and   (iii) maximum strain of between about 2.5 and about 7.5%, or   (iv) any combination of (i)-(iii).   
     
     
         34 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the material comprises from about 30 to about 60 wt % of the reinforcement material. 
     
     
         35 . The material of  claim 21 , wherein the cured resin is cured from a curable resin having a reactive group comprising one of acrylate, methacrylate, vinyl ester, vinyl carbonate, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The material of  claim 35 , wherein the cured resin comprises one of urethane dimethacrylate, bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (bis-GMA), dodecandediol dimethacrylate, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . A method of treating a subject in need thereof, the method comprising applying the medical device of  claim 26  to a patient, thereby treating the subject.