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:
Apr. 24, 1990
Filed:
Jul. 19, 1989
William C McCoy, Zionsville, IN (US);
James E Small, Logansport, IN (US);
Gregory Cole, Carmel, IN (US);
Catheter Research, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US);
Abstract
A memory element of the present invention is split to minimize the magnitude of electrical current flowing therethrough as the split memory element is being heated to its transitional temperature, thereby permitting the cross-sectional area of the lead wires used to conduct an electric current to the memory element to be minimized. The split memory element includes a tip member and first and second strip members aligned in side-by-side relation. Each of the tip member, first strip member, and second strip member are made of a shape-memory alloy and have a characteristic internal structure. Each strip member includes a shape-memory portion coupled to the tip member, a lead-attachment portion, and partition means for interconnecting the shape-memory and lead-attachment portions. Each partition means has an internal structure which is dissimilar to the characteristic internal structure of the tip member and the first and second strip members so that certain ions originating in the electrically conductive wire lead coupled to the lead-attachment portions are substantially isolated or otherwise contained in the lead-attachment portions to prevent contamination of the shape-memory portions.