5.7 Conclusion
The new technique of fixing calcium alkali phosphate particles with a diameter of the order of 1 µm on the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V with the help of femtosecond laser pulses is a very gentle way of treating both the bioceramic material and the metal. First, the ceramic powder absorbs only a relatively small percentage of the laser radiation, leaving the bioceramic coating unmelted and structurally unchanged, thus preserving the bioactive properties. The remaining fluence at the metal surface during the fixation merely melts an extremely thin surface layer, leaving the bulk material effectively unchanged. Nevertheless, the binding is very strong. There is absolutely no danger of a reduced mechanical stability of any intended implant after this relative “cold” laser induced fixing procedure.