Superelastic devices made from nitihf alloys using powder metallurgical techniques
OwnerThomas DUERIGinventor
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Abstract
A near net shape medical device is described that is formed from a metal alloy mixture containing NiTiHf using additive manufacturing techniques. The medical device is aged to a desired ultimate tensile strength (UTS), presence of H-phase precipitate with an Af below body temperature.
Claims31
A near net shape additive manufacturing method of fabricating a medical device for implantation in a human or animal body, the method comprising:
- applying a pulsed laser energy to a first quantity of a pre-alloyed metallic powder material comprising Titanium, Nickel and at least 2% Hafnium on a substrate so as to fuse particles of the pre-alloyed powder material into a first layer on the substrate;
- forming at least one additional layer on the first layer by applying a pulsed laser energy to at least a second quantity of the pre-alloyed powder material on the first layer so as to fuse particles of the pre-alloyed powder material into the at least one additional layer on the first layer;
- and
- repeating the applying and the forming steps to fabricate a near net shape medical device from the pre-alloyed powder material.
A near net shape implantable medical device fabricated using an additive manufacturing technique using a pre-alloyed metallic powder material comprising NiTHf, the implantable medical device having an Af temperature of less than body temperature and an UTS of at least 900 MPa.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.