Welding method
AssigneeBoston Scientific Corporation
InventorSteven E. Walak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A welding method for improving the durability and strength of fusion weld joints in metal structures; the method is especially beneficial for metal structures fabricated from nickel-titanium alloy (nitinol) and for medical devices.
Claims20
A medical device, the medical device being implantable within a human body, the medical device being made by the process comprising the steps:
- providing a weldable material;
- shaping the weldable material into a generally tubular configuration, such that the medical device has bent sections axially adjacent to one another;
- connecting the bent sections by welding the adjacent bent sections together forming a weld line, the weld line having a first initiation point and a second initiation point and a centrally located region between the first initiation point and the second initiation point along the weld line, the weld line further comprising a terminal pool located in the centrally located region.
A medical device formed by the method of shaping and bending a weldable material forming a stent-like configuration, the configuration having axially adjacent bent sections, coupling the adjacent bent sections to form a work piece areas, the method further involving multiple passes comprising the steps of making a first welding pass over a portion of a work piece area of the medical device to be welded and making a second welding pass over another portion of the work piece to be welded, thereby connecting the bent sections and forming the weld line, the two passes being directed toward each other and toward a common interior point forming a terminal pool.
A medical device made from the process comprising the steps:
- providing a fusion weldable metal;
- conducting a first welding pass over a portion of a workpiece area to be welded;
- conducting a second pass over another portion of the workpiece to be welded, the two passes being directed toward each other and toward a common interior point whereby any terminal pool is formed in a low stress or non-critical area of the workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.