The Application of Shape Memory Alloys in Medicine. This item is unavailable.The Application of Shape Memory Alloys in Medicine

Since their discovery in the 1960s, shape memory alloys have been developed for a wide range of applications. However, it was not until the 1970s that the use of memory metals in medicine started to receive attention. Since then, a multitude of clinical functions have been looked into, all of which use the Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) shape memory alloy which has been shown to have good biocompatibility properties. Although a relatively new alloy, a few medical applications incorporating its properties have already been developed to the commerical stage including vena cava filters, dental archwires and orthopaedic clips and staples. All of these use the thermo-mechanical properties portrayed by the alloys in the shape memory family. Further development in different medical fields is also being carried out with increasing interest. These include intravascular stenting, tracheobrochial stenting, uretheral stenting, rectal stenting, clinical tools and aneurysm clips.