The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 11, 2019
Filed:
May. 06, 2014
Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Jeremy E. Schaffer, Leo, IN (US);
FORT WAYNE METALS RESEARCH PRODUCTS CORP, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Abstract
Ti—Nb—Hf/Zr—(Cr) alloy shape-memory wires are provided which are suitable for use in medical devices and actuators, and methods for manufacturing such wires are provided. The present shape-memory Ti—Nb—Hf/Zr—(Cr) alloy is a superelastic wire material particularly suited for in vivo applications. For example, the present Ti—Nb—Hf/Zr—(Cr) alloy wire is radiopaque, thereby enabling surgical use of a monolithic, shape-memory alloy wire while preserving the ability to monitor the in vivo location of the wire through X-ray or other radiation-based imaging systems. In addition, the present Ti—Nb—Hf/Zr—(Cr) alloy can be manufactured to exhibit shape-memory alloy material properties without the use of nickel as an alloy constituent, thereby accommodating nickel-sensitive patients. The present Ti—Nb—Hf/Zr—(Cr) alloy can also be processed to exhibit a martensite/austenite transformation temperature near body-temperature, i.e., 37° C., so that shape-memory effects can be utilized to accomplish work in vivo.