Nitinol's unique capabilities allow it to return to its original shape after being deformed, which is particularly beneficial in medical applications. Flexible instruments fit a patient’s anatomy, knowing that, after steam sterilization, the instrument will revert to its original form due to the thermal shape memory effect. Examples include dilators and suction cannulas.
Additionally, nitinol exhibits super elasticity, enabling it to bend up to ten times more than stainless steel while maintaining its form. Thin wires and tubes made from nitinol can navigate complex pathways within the body, retaining control and precision. This super elasticity ensures that instruments and components remain effective and versatile, even under significant tension.
Extreme flexible and biocompatible
Nitinol's extreme flexibility and biocompatible properties make it an exceptional material for medical applications. Its kink-resistant nature and adaptability make it ideal for flexible, endoluminal instruments such as retrieval baskets. These baskets are designed to be highly flexible, allowing for easy access with superior kink resistance, high setup force, and precise 1-to-1 motion transmission.
Nitinol's favorable biocompatibility, which draws on its ability to perform an appropriate response to a patient’s body (refer to ISO 10993-1), makes it an excellent choice for implants. Its superior durability and kink resistance, especially in narrow pathways along with its minimized nickel ion release are advantageous to other materials such as stainless steel or titanium. Nitinol also offers enhanced MRI compatibility by being non-ferromagnetic.
