# US 12,599,966 B2 · Additive mannufacturing of a medical device

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- Number: US 12,599,966 B2
- Document ID: US12599966B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/534,928
- Filed: 2021-11-24
- Published: 2022-05-26
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2020-11-24
- Assignees: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
- Applicants: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
- Inventors: James Michael English; Robert Hannon; Mark David Mirigian
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12599966B2

## CPC

- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- A61F 2/91: made from perforated sheets or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
- B22F 10/32: of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
- B22F 10/36: of energy beam parameters
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- C22C 19/03: based on nickel
- A61F 2/90: characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
- A61F 2210/0076: multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
- A61F 2240/001: Designing or manufacturing processes
- A61F 2240/002: Designing or making customized prostheses
- B22F 2301/15: Nickel or cobalt
- B22F 2301/205: Titanium, zirconium or hafnium
- B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

An example method for manufacturing an object is disclosed. The example method includes determining the material composition of a base material, wherein determining the material composition of the base material includes determining the relative percentage of a first metal and the relative percentage of a second metal forming the base material. The method further includes selecting a common laser processing wavelength to be used in processing the base material. The method further includes processing the base material with a laser to form a processed material, the laser emits a laser beam matching the common laser processing wavelength during the processing of the base material and the material composition of the processed material is substantially similar to the material composition of the base material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a medical device, the method comprising:
determining the material composition of a base material, wherein the base material includes a first percentage of a first metal and a second percentage of a second metal;
selecting a laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal;
processing the base material with a laser to form a first layer of processed material, wherein the laser emits a laser beam matching the laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal during the processing of the base material;
disposing additional base material on the first layer of the processed material;
processing the additional base material disposed on the first layer of the processed material to form a second layer of processed material which is fused with the first layer of processed material, wherein the fused first and second layers of processed material form at least a portion of the medical device;
wherein processing the base material to form the medical device with the laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal minimizes an unequal vaporization of the first metal relative to the second metal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal to be used in the processing of the base material further includes analyzing an absorption wavelength spectrum for the first metal and an absorption wavelength spectrum for the second metal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal to be used in the processing of the base material further includes comparing the absorption wavelength spectrum for the first metal and an absorption wavelength spectrum for the second metal to determine the laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal which minimizes an unequal vaporization of the first metal relative to the second metal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the first metal is nickel and the second metal is titanium.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal is between 49 nm and 410 nm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the relative percentage of the first metal and the relative percentage of a second metal in the processed material differ by less than 0.15%.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein processing the base material with a laser to form the processed material includes laser sintering.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein processing the base material with a laser to form the processed material includes additive manufacturing processing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes processing the base material at a pressure between 2 ATM and 10 ATM, and wherein processing the base material at a pressure between 2 ATM and 10 ATM is designed to increase the vaporization temperature of the first metal and the second metal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes processing the base material at a pressure between 1.5 ATM and 4 ATM, and wherein processing the base material at a pressure between 1.5 ATM and 4 ATM is designed to limit the presence of one or more voids in the processed material.

### Claim 11

A method of manufacturing a metallic stent, the method comprising:
determining the material composition of a metallic powder, wherein determining the material composition of the metallic powder includes determining the relative percentage of a first metal and the relative percentage of a second metal forming the metallic powder;
determining a first wavelength spectrum for the first metal;
determining a second wavelength spectrum for the second metal;
comparing the first wavelength spectrum to the second wavelength spectrum to determine a laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal; and
processing the metallic powder with a laser to form the stent, wherein the laser emits a laser beam matching the laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal during the processing of the metallic powder, and wherein processing the metallic powder to form the stent with the laser processing wavelength common to both the first metal and the second metal minimizes an unequal vaporization of the first metal relative to the second metal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein laser processing wavelength which is common to both the first metal and the second metal is between 49 and 410 nm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the relative percentage of the first metal and the relative percentage of a second metal in the stent differ by less than 0.15%.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein processing the metallic powder with a laser to form the processed material includes laser sintering.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein processing the metallic powder with a laser to form the processed material includes additive manufacturing processing.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the method further includes processing the metallic powder at a pressure between 2 ATM and 10 ATM, and wherein processing the base material at a pressure between 2 ATM and 10 ATM is designed to increase the vaporization temperature of the first metal and the second metal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the method further includes processing the base material at a pressure between 1.5 ATM and 4 ATM, and wherein processing the base material at a pressure between 1.5 ATM and 4 ATM is designed to limit the presence of one or more voids in the processed material.