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. 29, 2014
Filed:
Jul. 10, 2012
Bret A. Dooley, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Christopher C. Lasley, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Michael R. Mitchell, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Robert R. Steele, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Eric M. Tittelbaugh, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Bret A. Dooley, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Christopher C. Lasley, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Michael R. Mitchell, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Robert R. Steele, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
Eric M. Tittelbaugh, Flagstaff, AZ (US);
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Newark, DE (US);
Abstract
Articles made of shape memory alloys having improved fatigue performance and to methods of treating articles formed from shape memory alloy materials by pre-straining the articles (or desired portions of the articles) in a controlled manner so that the resultant articles exhibit improved fatigue performance. The shape memory articles are preferably medical devices, more preferably implantable medical devices. They are most preferably devices of nitinol shape memory alloy, most particularly that is superelastic at normal body temperature. The pre-straining method of the present invention as performed on such articles includes the controlled introduction of non-recoverable tensile strains greater than about 0.20% at the surface of a desired portion of a shape memory alloy article. Controlled pre-straining operations are performed on the shape-set nitinol metal to achieve non-recoverable tensile strain greater than about 0.20% at or near the surface of selected regions in the nitinol metal article.