Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a beta-tricalcium phosphate surface treatment for porous orthopedic and dental implants that will help reduce the risk of infection.

Johnson Matthey Medical Components, West Chester, Pa., has introduced NitiBrite Nitinol wire, which features an exclusive one-step oxide removal process that completely eliminates the toxic HF acid solutions that cause embrittlement. Unlike other methods used to create oxide-free Nitinol wire, the NitiBrite process does not involve acid etch or costly mechanical polishing.

Admedes Schuessler, Germany, has developed a superflat micro-riveting process technology for clinical applications that may require complex combinations of engineering materials. It is designed for tantalum and gold markers, and provides superior process features, such as high precision with minimum crevice formation, and super-flat 3D contouring. The process is scalable and flexible, and can be used with all types of radiodense materials.

Bose ElectroForce, Eden Prairie, Minn., introduces two high-accuracy test systems: the ElectroForce 3200 Series III and the ElectroForce 3330 Series II test instruments. They achieve the highest measured displacement resolution and accuracy for electrodynamic test systems. With measurement resolution of a nanometer and accuracies in the range of microns, these systems extend the range of testing, providing an order of magnitude improvement in displacement measurement at low amplitudes.

Burpee Materials Technology, Eatontown, N.J., specializes in high-yield, high-quality manufacturing of stents and stent-like devices and components. Expertise ranges from fine neurovascular and coronary devices to large AAA/TAA and valve components fabricated from Nitinol, cobalt-chrome, stainless steel, and other biocompatible metals.

Fort Wayne Metals, Ind., manufactures wire products from several grades of Nitinol commonly used in medical applications, as well as Nitinol alloys for other applications. Each medical grade is comprised of near-equal atomic weight percentage of nickel and titanium. Our most common medical grade, NiTi#1, exceeds chemistry requirements set forth by ASTM F2063 for surgical implants. All grades are available in either the cold worked (CW) condition ready for heat treatment, or as straightened super-elastic (SE) wire.

Memry Corp., Bethel, Conn., an SAES Getters Company, offers Nitinol products available in Redox, a new alloy with 80% fewer oxides and smaller particle size. The result is enhanced microcleanliness and enhanced confidence. The industry measures nitinol microcleanliness by the amount of non-metallic inclusions and porosity. Typical non-metallic inclusions are carbides (TiC), and intermetallic oxides (Ti4Ni2Ox). The size and distribution of inclusions like these play a critical role for device designers who work with nitinol.

Nitinol Devices and Components (NDC), Fremont, Calif., offers a wide range of materials in wire, strip, sheet, tubing, and bar form. It was the first company to process laser-cut, self-expanding stents for the medical device industry, and pioneered electropolishing techniques to achieve biocompatible surfaces for medical implants. Its materials meet ASTM standards and reportedly have the lowest carbon content and the tightest tolerances in the industry.

MedShape Inc., Atlanta, reports that during its targeted soft launch period, DynaNail has been successfully implanted in over 100 tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) fusion procedures. Because the internal nickel titanium (Nitinol) element maintains the target fusion bones in close apposition and under sustained compression, fusions are being observed with the DynaNail TTC Fusion System in high-risk patients, specifically those who require bone allografts.

A research team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Calif., has discovered a way to introduce a recoverable strain into bismuth ferrite of up to 14% on the nanoscale, larger than any shape-memory effect observed in a metal. Bismuth ferrite is a multiferroic compound comprised of bismuth, iron, and oxygen. It displays both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties, meaning it will respond to the application of external electric or magnetic fields.

Implants are commonly made from metals such as titanium alloys. These materials are being made porous during processing used to prepare them for medical use.

The remarkable, rubber-like protein that enables dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other insects to flap their wings, jump, and chirp has major potential uses in medicine, scientists conclude in an article in the journal ACS Macro Letters. It evaluates the latest advances toward using a protein called resilin in nanosprings, biorubbers, biosensors, and other applications.