36 results about "Nitinol SE" patented technology

A bone anchor that uses temperature transition of a shape memory material to expand the anchor within a bone. Thermal transformation of the metallic crystal state (and hence the stress / strain properties) of shape memory alloy (e.g., Nitinol, NiTi) expands engagement elements within the bone to fix the bone anchor in place. Various self-locking assemblies for attached suture material to the bone anchor are also disclosed.

An embodiment of the present invention provides for an elongated medical device with a hypotube backbone running through the device, and a spiral lumen spiraled around the backbone along the length of the backbone. The backbone may be formed from a nitinol alloy for increased bendability without compromising axial stiffness. The device may also incorporate a jacket around the hypotube and spiral lumen formed using either melting, molding, bonding, or casting. The spiral lumen may be configured to accommodate a variety of uses, including actuation members (e.g., pull wires), tools, and means for aspiration, irrigation, image capture, and illumination. Additionally, the present invention provides a method for constructing an elongated medical device with a hypotube backbone running through the device, and a spiral lumen spiraled around the backbone along the length of the backbone.

An embodiment of the present invention provides for an elongated medical device with a hypotube backbone running through the device, and a spiral lumen spiraled around the backbone along the length of the backbone. The backbone may be formed from a nitinol alloy for increased bendability without compromising axial stiffness. The device may also incorporate a jacket around the hypotube and spiral lumen formed using either melting, molding, bonding, or casting. The spiral lumen may be configured to accommodate a variety of uses, including actuation members (e.g., pull wires), tools, and means for aspiration, irrigation, image capture, and illumination. Additionally, the present invention provides a method for constructing an elongated medical device with a hypotube backbone running through the device, and a spiral lumen spiraled around the backbone along the length of the backbone.

A composite medical device having a titanium, and titanium based alloy, section welded to a ferrous metal section. The weld provides supplementary filler material to alter the proportions of various elements in the weld pool to ensure a strong and reliable weld. Certain fillers, such as nickel or iron, added to the weld pool enable high quality welds to be fabricated utilizing a wide variety of fusion welding techniques between the titanium, or titanium based alloy, section and the ferrous metal section. The sections may include nickel-titanium, also known as nitinol. The sections may be in the form of wires, bars, ribbons, and sheets. The composite medical device of the present invention may include guidewires, stents, right-angle needles, suture passers, retractors, graspers, baskets, and various retrieval devices.

Described herein is a simplified placement system and method for a tissue graft anchor by which a surgeon may introduce one or more sutures into a hole in a boney tissue, apply a precise amount of tension to the sutures to advance a soft tissue graft to a desired location, and then advance the anchor into the bone, preferably while maintaining the requisite pre-determined suture tension and without introducing spin to the suture. Particularly preferred embodiments allow for the placement of small diameter knotless anchors. For example, the implant placement system may include a cannulated tensioning device having disposed therein an elongate member of a suitably elastic metallic or polymeric material, such as nitinol, that includes at its distal end a loop of material suitable for suture retention. The implant placement system may further include high tensile strength knotless anchors provided with internal drive features that coordinate with torque-transmitting features unique to the driver devices of the present invention.

A fatigue-resistant Nitinol instrument has a working portion in the deformed monoclinic martensitic state and an austenite finish temperature in the range of 40° to 60° C. Because the operating environment of the instrument is about 37° C., the working portion remains in the monoclinic martensitic state during its use. The relatively high austenite finish temperature and fatigue resistance is achieved by subjecting the nickel-titanium alloy to a final thermal heat treat in a temperature range of about 410° to 440° C. while the nickel-titanium alloy is under constant strain of about 3 to 15 kg. Further, the high austenite finish temperature is achieved without subjecting the alloy to thermal cycling to produce shape memory. Additionally, there are no intermediate processing steps occurring between obtaining a finished diameter of the wire or blank through cold working and the final thermal heat treat under constant strain.

A method of forming a dental tool or instrument having a memorized shape. The method comprises selecting a nitinol wire having an initial transition temperature below room temperature; grinding the nitinol wire to form the dental tool or instrument so as to have a shank, located adjacent a first end, and a working area, with at least one cutting edge, located adjacent an opposite second leading end; molding the working area into a molded shape having at least one protrusion formed therein; heating the dental tool or instrument to both: a) alter the initial transition temperature of the dental tool or instrument to a final transition temperature, and b) memorize the Molded shape including the at least one protrusion so that the dental tool or instrument will automatically return to the molded shape having the at least one protrusion when at a temperature at or above the final transition temperature.

There is disclosed a method for chemically bonding TiNi materials to Nitinol constructs, comprising placing a Nitinol construct within a mold and packing a powder combination comprising Ti powder and Ni powder, and powder comprised of zero or more of the elements Cu, Hf, Zr, Pt, Pd, Au, Cd, Ag, Nb, Ta, O, N, B, and H, into the mold. The method further includes initiating a process of self-propagating high temperature synthesis of the powder combination within the mold to create a chemical bond between the Nitinol construct and a resulting TiNi foam to thereby create a Nitinol and TiNi assembly.

The present disclosure relates to core-wire joints for micro-fabricated medical devices, such as guidewires. A hybrid guidewire device includes a core (102) having a joint (105) between a proximal section (110) and a distal section (112) of the core and a tube structure (104) surrounding the joint. The proximal section of the core is made of or includes stainless steel and the distal section is made of or includes a superelastic material such as nitinol. Further, the terminal, distal portion of the proximal section of the core includes serrations (116), and a terminal, proximal portion of thedistal section of the core includes complementary serrations (118) sized and shaped to interlock with serrations (116). The distal end of the proximal section mechanically interlocks with a proximal end of the distal section to form the joint.

A guidewire made from a drawn-filled tube composite wire is described. The composite wire has a stainless steel outer sheath jacketing a nitinol core wire. The drawn-filled tube composite wire is ground at its distal end to expose the nitinol core, which has superelastic and kink resistant properties that are desirable for the distal end of a guidewire. The proximal end of the drawn-filled tube is not ground or if ground, the outer sheath of stainless steel is not removed to an extent sufficient to expose the nitinol core.

The present invention provides a stationary phase for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) devices based on nickel and titanium alloy nuclei and a metal-organic framework (MOF) exterior, which may be used for chromatographic analysis in environmental, food, etc. applications. The method of preparation of the stationary phases consists of a number of steps which provide a covalent adhesion of the MOF to the nickel / titanium alloy. In these stationary phases, the metal-organic framework is the only component that comes into contact with the sample to be analysed. The interior of the stationary phase is executed in nitinol and endows the system with thermal and mechanical stability, this being the first time that it is used to support a metal-organic framework, and presenting extractive advantages in comparison with commercial SPME stationary phases.

An intervertebral cage includes a plurality of segments that are connected together by one or more members formed from a shape memory alloy material such that the segments are automatically moved from an initial orientation before implantation / insertion in an intervertebral space to an expanded orientation after implantation / insertion in the intervertebral space. Each of the plurality of segments may have a plurality of passageways or recesses formed therethrough, and wherein a wire formed from a shape memory alloy material extends through each of the plurality of passageways or recesses. The member may be formed from a shape memory alloy material that demonstrates shape memory effects and superelasticity properties, such as nitinol.

An annuloplasty device formed from a Nitinol stent frame that expands into contact with the annulus above the native leaflets. A torus balloon activates barbs along the perimeter to fasten the stent frame to the annulus. A cinch ring is placed under tension to reduce the perimeter of the stent frame. The cinch ring and torus balloon are implanted along with the stent frame.

A method of increasing a pullout force of a threaded fastener in osteoporotic bone includes drilling a hole in the bone. The spacer fabric is impregnated with a bone growth agent. A tube of the spacer fabric is sized to the hole in the bone. The tube of the spacer fabric is inserted in the hole of the bone. The spacer fabric is made from Nitinol wire. A threaded fastener is inserted into a central lumen of the tube of the spacer fabric to provide a rigid structure. The bone is grown into the spacer fabric.

The present disclosure describes tissue grasping devices, systems, and methods for grasping mitral valve tissue during treatment of the mitral valve and when implanting a tissue fixation device into the mitral valve. The tissue grasping device includes a flexible member and one or more tissue grasping members coupled to one or more arms of the flexible member. The flexible member is formed from a shape memory material, such as Nitinol, and the tissue grasping member is formed from a material that is harder than the shape memory material. The tissue grasping member is secured by threading or looping suture around and / or through the tissue grasping member and the flexible member and / or by applying a covering material to the tissue grasping device to hold the tissue grasping member against the flexible member. Attached to the flexible member.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to apparatuses, devices, and methods for secure connections between tubular structures. In one implementation, a first tube constructed of nitinol may have windows formed on an end thereof. A second tube constructed of stainless steel tube may be inserted within the first tube, and the windows may be filled with adhesive or solder. The adhesive or solder may bond with the first tube, forming connection pins which secure the tubes together. In some embodiments, the connected tubes may form an endoscopic needle. The nitinol portion of the needle may be sufficiently flexible for positioning within the bending section of an endoscope without deformation. The stainless steel portion of the needle may render the needle significantly less expensive than prior needles constructed solely of nitinol.

A needle and suture assembly includes a needle made of a superelastic alloy, such as Nitinol, including an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end with a sharpened tip, a suture having a free end juxtaposed with the proximal end of the elongated body of the needle, and a connector disposed between the needle and the suture. The connector includes a first end attached to the proximal end of the elongated body of the needle and a second end attached to the free end of the suture. The connector is made of a material, such as stainless steel, having less elasticity and greater plasticity than the superelastic alloy of the needle.

Devices and methods for providing an elastically deforming guidewire tip, capable of withstanding the extreme forces of high-speed rotational atherectomy, in particular orbital motion induced by an eccentric abrasive head, are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the reformable tip comprises an inner nitinol support coil, wherein the reformable tip may be attached to a larger proximal core for improved kink resistance and support for delivering adjunctive devices. In other embodiments, an inner nitinol support coil may be wrapped with a braided coil and / or a polymer sleeve. The resulting tip is more flexible with reduced risk of perforation than known guidewire tips.