technology report 04

Product innovation – 2nd place:
Antibiotic coating process for
cementless arthroplasty
(Dr. Ekaterini Copanaki, Heraeus Medical)
More than one million hip
prosthetics are implanted
worldwide every year. There are
two methods for anchoring
endoprosthetic implants:
cementless and cemented.
Heraeus Medical already offers
a unique portfolio of bone
cements containing antibiotics
for a variety of cemented
implant applications.
Dr. Ekaterini Copanaki
developed an innovative process
for an antibiotic coating for cementless arthroplasty.
The antibiotic is released directly from the implant at
the operation site within the body over a defined period
of time, preventing infections from taking hold. The
innovation of the ready-to-use coating device enables
a very effective prophylactic application of antibiotic
protection directly to the prosthesis for the first time.
Product innovation – 2nd place:
Best Process Innovation II:
Reduced fabrication cost process for
metal-oxide materials
(Dr. Kyung Chung, Heraeus Materials Technology)
After six years of intensive work, a large engineering team
around Dr. Kyung Chung, Heraeus Materials Technology
(USA), developed a new manufacturing process for
sputtering targets based on metal-oxide compounds. The
process technology has already been implemented in
production. By optimizing important steps in the process,
the innovative process significantly increases efficiency.
The disk-shaped sputtering targets produced by Heraeus
are used to coat magnetic data storage devices, which
utilize special metal alloys.
Components for medical implants made of
magnetically hard, biocompatible precious
metals alloys
(Dr. Jörg-Martin Gebert,
Heraeus Precious Metals)
Around 20 million patients
worldwide suffer from advanced
heart failure in which the
affected heart can no longer
pump the necessary amount
of blood through the body.
Cardiac support systems can
be implanted in these patients,
taking over the function of
the still-beating heart to a
great extent. Dr. Jörg-Martin
Gebert developed a process for manufacturing the core
component of these medical implants out of magnetically
hard precious-metal alloys, enabling a particularly efficient
and small-scale design for these cardiac support systems.
Heraeus is opening up a new market segment with these
medical technology components. The customer receives a
complete solution from Heraeus – biocompatible, compact
and efficient.
technology report Issue 4 | 2013
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