1. A biocompatible ceramic composition comprised of powdered calcium aluminate phases of the following composition:
less than 50 vol. %, but greater than zero, of CA2, based on the total volume of the calcium aluminate phases;
more than 50 vol. % of a mixture of CA and C12A7 together based on the total volume of the calcium aluminate phases;
less than 10 vol. %, but greater than zero, of C3A, based on the total volume of the calcium aluminate phases; and
optionally additives, wherein,
the sum of all components amounts to 100%, and wherein the CA-phases amounts to at least 50%, and
the biocompatible ceramic composition generates temperatures of 30\u2013150\xb0 C. when cured in a living human body.
2. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, further comprising the hydraulic powders calcium silicate andor calcium sulphate in an amount less than 50 vol. % of the total volume of hydraulic ingredients.
3. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, further comprising particles or powder of one or more biocompatible materials selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, apatite, fluoroapatite, carbonates-apatites, and hydroxyapatite in a total amount less than 30 vol. % of the total volume of the ceramic ingredients.
4. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, further comprising a component which is a water reducing agent selected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acids, polyacrylic acids, and superplasticisers.
5. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, further comprising expansion controlling additives.
6. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, further comprising a water-based curing liquid.
7. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 6, wherein the curing liquid further comprises an accelerator agent which accelerates the hardening process, which accelerator agent is selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, lithium sulphate, lithium nitrate, lithium citrate, calcium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphate and sulphuric acid.
8. The biocompatible ceramic material according to claim 7, wherein LiCl is present in an amount of 10\u2013500 mg in 100 g of curing liquid.
9. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 6, wherein the curing liquid further comprises a retarder agent which retards the hardening process, which retarder agent is selected from the group consisting of polysaccharide, glycerine, sugars, starch, and cellulose-based thickeners.
10. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, wherein the grain size of the powdered material used is predominately less than 20 microns.
11. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, having a compressive strength of at least 100 MPa.
12. The biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, the composition being cured.
13. A method for manufacturing a biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
preparing a calcium aluminatepowder mixture of selected phase composition and grain size; and
curing said mixture by treating the biocompatible ceramic composition with a curing agent, or by preparing a slurry from said water-based curing liquid and the biocompatible ceramic composition, wherein,
the amount of CA2 and the amount of C3A is selected for achieving temperatures up to 150\xb0 C. during use and so that the biocompatible ceramic composition generates a controlled amount of heat at temperatures of 30\u2013150\xb0 C. when cured in a living human body.
14. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1.
15. An orthopaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 1.
16. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 2.
17. An orthopaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 2.
18. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 3.
19. An orthpaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 3.
20. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 4.
21. An orthopaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 4.
22. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 5.
23. An orthopaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 5.
24. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 6.
25. An orthopaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 6.
26. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 7.
27. An orthopaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 7.
28. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 8.
29. An orthopaedic implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 8.
30. A medical implant comprising the biocompatible ceramic composition according to claim 9.
31. The biocompatible ceramic composition of claim 1, with at least an effective amount for achieving high temperatures during use and less than 3 vol. % of C3A, based on the total volume of the of calcium aluminate phases.
32. A biocompatible ceramic composition comprised of powdered calcium aluminate phases of the following composition:
less than 50 vol. %, but greater than zero, of CA2, based on the total volume of the calcium aluminate phases;
more than 50 vol. %, but groator than zora, of a mixture of CA and C12A7 together based on the total volume of the calcium aluminate phases;
at least an effective, non-zero, amount of C3A for achieving temperatures up to 150\xb0 C. during use and less than 10 vol. %, but greater than zero, of C3A, based on the total volume of the calcium aluminate phases; and
optionally additives, wherein,
the sum of all components amounts to 100%, and wherein the CA-phases amounts to at least 50%, and
the biocompatible ceramic composition generates temperatures of 30\u2013150\xb0 C. when cured in a living human body.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a product identifier that identifies a product,
in which the product is associated with a transaction;
receiving, at a terminal of a merchant, a credit card number from a customer as payment for the transaction,
in which the credit card number is for use only one time,
in which the credit card number is for use in place of an account number that identifies a credit card account, and
in which the credit card number has the same number of digits as the account number;
transmitting, by the terminal, the credit card number for authorization of the transaction;
receiving, by the terminal, information indicating whether the transaction is authorized; and
providing the product to the customer if the transaction is authorized.
2. A method comprising:
receiving a product identifier that identifies a product,
in which the product is associated with a transaction;
receiving, at a terminal of a merchant, a single-use credit card number from a cardholder,
in which the single-use credit card number is for use only one time,
in which the single-use credit card number is for use in place of an account number that identifies the cardholder, and
in which the single-use credit card number has the same number of digits as the account number;
determining a transaction amount that is associated with the transaction;
after receiving the single-use credit card number from the cardholder, transmitting, by the terminal, the single-use credit card number and the transaction amount to a credit card issuer for authorization of the transaction;
receiving, by the terminal, information from the credit card issuer indicating whether the credit card account has sufficient credit available for the transaction; and
providing the product to the customer based on the information from the credit card issuer.
3. A method comprising:
receiving, at a terminal of a merchant, a single-use credit card number,
in which the single-use credit card number is for use only one time,
in which the single-use credit card number is for use in place of an account number that identifies a credit card account, and
in which the single-use credit card number has the same number of digits as the account number;
receiving, at the terminal, an indication of an amount of a purchase;
after receiving the single-use credit card number at the terminal, transmitting, from the terminal, the single-use credit card number and the amount of the purchase to a credit card issuer for authorization of the purchase; and
receiving, at the terminal, information from the credit card issuer indicating whether the purchase is authorized.
4. The method of claim 3, in which receiving the single-use credit card number comprises:
receiving the single-use credit card number via the Internet.
5. The method of claim 3, in which receiving the single-use credit card number comprises:
receiving the single-use credit card number via a telephone.
6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
providing the product to a customer if the purchase is authorized.
7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
receiving, at the terminal, information from the credit card issuer indicating whether the credit card account has sufficient credit available for the purchase.
8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
receiving, at the terminal, information from the credit card issuer indicating whether the single-use credit card number is valid.