Method for forming a tube

A method for at least partially forming a medical device comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a metal rod;
• said metal rod having an outer surface and an original outer cross-sectional area;
• said metal rod is formed of a metal alloy;
• b) subjecting said metal rod to a primary reduction process to reduce said original outer cross-sectional area of said metal rod to a first drawn down cross-sectional area by use of a reducing mechanism;
• said metal rod being drawn down one or more times in said reducing mechanism to a first drawn down cross-sectional area of said metal rod;
• said first drawn down cross-sectional area of said metal rod is no more than 50% of said original outer cross-sectional area;
• c) annealing said metal rod after said metal rod has been reduced said first drawn down cross-sectional area;
• an annealing temperature during said step of annealing is at more than 500° C.;
• and,
• d) subjecting said metal rod to two or more secondary reduction processes to further reduce said cross-sectional area of said metal rod from said first drawn down cross-sectional area to a second drawn down cross-sectional area by use of said reducing mechanism;
• each of said secondary reduction processes causing a reduction in said cross-sectional area of said metal rod by no more than 25%;
• said metal rod being subjected to annealing after each of said secondary reduction process except for a final secondary reduction process;
• said metal rod is not exposed to a heat treatment process that includes exposing said metal rod a temperature of 500° C. or more after said final secondary reduction process.

A method for at least partially forming a medical device comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a metal rod;
• said metal rod having an outer surface and an original outer cross-sectional area;
• said metal rod is formed of a metal alloy;
• said metal rod formed by an isostatic pressing process;
• said isostatic pressing process includes isostatically pressing metal powder together and subsequently sintering said metal power to form said metal rod;
• said process of isostatically pressing together said metal powder and/or said process of sintering occurs in a controlled atmosphere;
• said metal rod has an average density of about 0.7-0.95 a minimum theoretical density of said metal alloy;
• said metal rod has an average density of at least 5 gm/cc;
• said controlled atmosphere includes an inert atmosphere, an oxygen reducing atmosphere, or a partial or full vacuum;
• said metal alloy includes A) at least 30 wt. % of primary metal and secondary metal;
• said primary metal includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, niobium, rhenium, tantalum, and tungsten;
• said secondary metal includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, osmium, platinum, rare earth metal, rhodium, ruthenium, silver, technetium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium;
• or B) 20-99.9 wt. % rhenium and 0.1-80 wt. % additional alloying agent;
• said additional alloying agent includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, platinum, rare earth metal, rhodium, ruthenium, silver, tantalum, technetium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium;
• said metal alloy includes 0-2 wt. % of secondary materials;
• said secondary materials consist of a) metals other than rhenium, b) metals other than said additional alloying agent, c) carbon, d) oxygen and e) nitrogen;
• b) subjecting said metal rod to a primary reduction process to reduce said original outer cross-sectional area of said metal rod to a first drawn down cross-sectional area by use of a reducing mechanism;
• said metal rod being drawn down one or more times in said reducing mechanism to a first drawn down cross-sectional area of said metal rod;
• said first drawn down cross-sectional area of said metal rod no more than 50% of said original outer cross-sectional area;
• said step of subjecting said metal rod to said primary reduction process includes controlling an atmosphere about said metal rod during said step of subjecting said metal rod to a primary reduction process so that said metal alloy of said metal rod includes less than about 30 ppm nitrogen, less than about 150 ppm carbon, and less than about 100 ppm oxygen and a carbon to oxygen atomic ratio of at least about 0.2:1;
• c) annealing said metal rod after said metal rod has obtained said first drawn down cross-sectional area;
• said step of annealing includes controlling an atmosphere about said metal rod during so that said metal alloy of said metal rod after said step of annealing includes less than about 30 ppm nitrogen, less than about 150 ppm carbon, and less than about 100 ppm oxygen and a carbon to oxygen atomic ratio of at least about 0.2:1;
• an annealing temperature during said step of annealing is greater than 500° C.;
• and,
• d) subjecting said metal rod to two or more secondary reduction processes to further reduce said cross-sectional area of said metal rod from said first drawn down cross-sectional area to said second drawn down cross-sectional area by use of said reducing mechanism;
• each of said secondary reduction processes causes a reduction in said cross-sectional area of said metal rod by no more than 25%;
• said metal rod is annealed after each secondary reduction process except for a final secondary reduction process;
• said metal rod is not exposed to a heat treatment process that includes exposing said metal rod a temperature of 500° C. or more after said final secondary reduction process;
• and
• wherein said metal alloy of said metal rod after said final secondary reduction process includes less than about 30 ppm nitrogen, less than about 150 ppm carbon, and less than about 100 ppm oxygen and a carbon to oxygen atomic ratio of at least about 0.2:1.

A method for treating metal rod that can be used to at least partially form a medical device, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a metal rod;
• said metal rod has an outer surface and an original outer cross-sectional area;
• said metal rod is formed of a metal alloy;
• said metal rod is formed by an isostatic pressing process;
• said isostatic pressing process includes isostatically pressing metal powder together and subsequently sintering said metal power to form said metal rod;
• said metal rod has an average density of about 0.7-0.95 a minimum theoretical density of said metal alloy;
• said metal rod has an average density of 11-20 gm/cc;
• said metal alloy includes A) rhenium and one or more alloying agents selected from the group consisting of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhodium, ruthenium, silver, tantalum, technetium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc and zirconium, and wherein said metal alloy includes 0-2 wt. % of a combination of a) metals other than rhenium, b) metals other than said one or more alloying agents, c) carbon, d) oxygen, and e) nitrogen, B) at least 20 wt. % rhenium and one or more alloy agents selected from the group consisting of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhodium, ruthenium, silver, tantalum, technetium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium, and wherein the metal alloy includes 0-2 wt. % of a combination of a) metals other than rhenium, b) metals other than said one or more alloying agents, c) carbon, d) oxygen, and e) nitrogen, or C) at least 30 wt. % of primary metal and one or more alloying agents, and wherein said primary metal includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, niobium, rhenium, tantalum, and tungsten, and wherein said one or more alloying agents includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, magnesium, manganese, nickel, osmium, platinum, rare earth metal, rhodium, ruthenium, silver, technetium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium, and wherein the metal alloy includes 0-2 wt. % of a combination of a) metals other than said primary metal, b) metals other than said one or more alloying agents, c) carbon, d) oxygen, and e) nitrogen;
• b) subjecting said metal rod to a primary reduction process to reduce said original outer cross-sectional area of said metal rod to a first drawn down cross-sectional area by use of a reducing mechanism;
• said metal rod being drawn down one or more times in said reducing mechanism to a first drawn down cross-sectional area of said metal rod;
• said first drawn down cross-sectional area of said metal rod no more than 50% of said original outer cross-sectional area;
• c) annealing said metal rod after said metal rod has obtained said first drawn down cross-sectional area;
• said step of annealing includes controlling an atmosphere about said metal rod during so that said metal alloy of said metal rod after said step of annealing includes less than about 30 ppm nitrogen, less than about 150 ppm carbon, and less than about 100 ppm oxygen and a carbon to oxygen atomic ratio of at least about 0.2:1;
• an annealing temperature during said step of annealing is greater than 1200° C.;
• and,
• d) subjecting said metal rod to two or more secondary reduction processes to further reduce said cross-sectional area of said metal rod from said first drawn down cross-sectional area to a second drawn down cross-sectional area by use of said reducing mechanism;
• each of said secondary reduction processes causing a reduction in said cross-sectional area of said metal rod by no more than 25%;
• said metal rod is annealed after each secondary reduction process except for a final secondary reduction process;
• said metal rod is not exposed to a heat treatment process that includes exposing said metal rod a temperature of 500° C. or more after said final secondary reduction process;
• and
• wherein said metal alloy of said metal rod after said final secondary reduction process includes less than about 30 ppm nitrogen, less than about 150 ppm carbon, and less than about 100 ppm oxygen and a carbon to oxygen atomic ratio of at least about 0.2:1.

A method for forming a medical device from a metal alloy rod;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• a) providing metal alloy powder;
• said metal alloy power has an average particle size of less than 200 mesh;
• said metal alloy powder is formulated to form a metal alloy of A) at least 1 wt. % rhenium and one or more metal alloying additives selected from the group consisting of calcium, carbon, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, hafnium, iron, magnesium, nickel, niobium, osmium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhenium, silver, tantalum, technetium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium;
• and wherein said metal alloy includes 0-2 wt. % of a combination of a) metals other than rhenium, b) metals other than said one or more said metal alloying additives, c) carbon, d) oxygen, and e) nitrogen;
• or B) at least 20 wt. % of primary metal and one or more metal alloying additives, and wherein said primary metal includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, niobium, rhenium, tantalum, and tungsten, and wherein said one or more metal alloying additives includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of calcium, carbon, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, hafnium, iron, magnesium, nickel, niobium, osmium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhenium, silver, tantalum, technetium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium;
• and wherein the metal alloy includes 0-2 wt. % of a combination of a) metals other than said primary metal, b) metals other than said one or more metal alloying additives, c) carbon, d) oxygen, and e) nitrogen;
• b. consolidating said metal alloy powder into a rod;
• said step of consolidating includes subjecting said metal alloy powder to an isostatic process that applies a uniform pressure of 400-700 MPa from all sides on said metal powder;
• said step of consolidating occurring in an inert atmosphere, an oxygen reducing atmosphere of hydrogen or an argon and hydrogen mixture, and/or under a vacuum;
• c. sintering said rod of consolidated metal alloy powder to form a rod green part;
• said rod green part has an average density of 0.7-0.95 of a minimum theoretical density;
• said rod green part has an average density of 11-20 gm/cc;
• said consolidated metal alloy powder is sintered at a temperature of 1600-3500° C. to partially or fully fuse said metal alloy powder together to form said rod green part;
• d. subjecting said rod green part to a primary reduction process to reduce said original outer cross-sectional area of said rod green part to a first drawn down cross-sectional area by use of a reducing mechanism;
• said rod green part is drawn down one or more times in said reducing mechanism to a first drawn down cross-sectional area of said rod green part;
• said first drawn down cross-sectional area of said rod green part is no more than 50% of said original outer cross-sectional area of said rod green part;
• e. annealing said rod green part after said rod green part has obtained said first drawn down cross-sectional area;
• said step of annealing includes controlling an atmosphere about said rod green part during said step of annealing so that said rod green part after said step of annealing includes less than about 30 ppm nitrogen, less than about 150 ppm carbon, and less than about 100 ppm oxygen and a carbon to oxygen atomic ratio of at least about 0.2:1;
• an annealing temperature during said step of annealing is greater than 1200° C.;
• f. subjecting said rod green part to two or more secondary reduction processes to form said metal alloy rod;
• said two or more secondary reduction processes cause a further reduction of said cross-sectional area of said rod green part from said first drawn down cross-sectional area to a second drawn down cross-sectional area by use of said reducing mechanism;
• each of said secondary reduction processes causing a reduction in said cross-sectional area of said rod green part by no more than 25%;
• said rod green part metal is annealed after each secondary reduction process except for a final secondary reduction process;
• after said final secondary reduction process said metal alloy rod is not exposed to a heat treatment process that includes exposing said metal alloy rod a temperature of 500° C. or more;
• and wherein said metal alloy rod after said final secondary reduction process includes less than about 30 ppm nitrogen, less than about 150 ppm carbon, and less than about 100 ppm oxygen and a carbon to oxygen atomic ratio of at least about 0.2:1;
• g. subjecting said metal alloy rod to a gun drilling process and/or an EDM cutting process to form a metal alloy tube from said metal alloy rod;
• h. cutting, etching, grinding, laser cutting, and/or shaving said metal alloy tube to partially or fully form said medical device;
• said medical device is selected from a stent, medical device frame, valve, TAVR valve, or hypotube.