Efficacy of Thin HA Coating Produced by a Novel Process

The purpose of this Phase 1 application is to evaluate the applicability of an ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) process for coating titanium Dental implants with a thin hydroxyapatite (HA) layer. Coatings of different crystallinity will be produced, characterized and tested in a dog model. Implant performance will be evaluated in terms of bone-implant interface and interfacial strength. Data obtained from this study will demonstrate the feasibility of the IBAD process for coating Dental implants and contribute to the development of an appropriate coating crystallinity for optimum bone response. The rationale for using thin coatings is that although HA is beneficial for initial osseointegration, thinner HA coatings have been reported to have greater interfacial bond strengths than thicker coatings. In addition, because osseointegration is stimulated by the dissolution of the coating during the early implant period, implant failure, as a result of delamination within the HA coating is not observed. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The low temperature thin film deposition process will be used to coat thin hydroxyapatite (HA) films for optimizing bone response to dental implants. Other Potential commercial applications will also include the application of coatings on orthopaedic implants. This technology will be cost neutral. In addition, dental and orthopaedic HA coated implants will be superior to the current plasma spraying process in terms of coating implant interfacial strenght, better control of the materials properties, absence of coating delamination at a later stage, and optimization of early osseointegration.