| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 148563000 | Mechanical memory (e.g., shape memory, heat-recoverable, etc.) | 17 |
| 20090139614 | METHOD OF CHARACTERIZING PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS IN SHAPE MEMORY MATERIALS - A method of characterizing phase transformations of a shape memory material specimen entails recording data from the specimen during heating and cooling. The temperature of the specimen is changed in a first direction to a first temperature sufficient to define a first inflection and a second inflection in the data being recorded. The temperature of the specimen is changed in a second direction to a second temperature sufficient to define a third inflection in the data. The third inflection is formed by overlapping primary and secondary sub-inflections. The temperature of the specimen is changed in the first direction to a third temperature sufficient to define the first inflection but not sufficient to define the second inflection. The temperature of the specimen is then changed in the second direction to a fourth temperature sufficient to define the secondary sub-inflection in the data being recorded. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090194206 | Systems and methods for wrought nickel/titanium alloy flexible spinal rods - Dynamic, flexible wrought Nickel/Titanium alloy spinal rods for spinal fusion or dynamic stabilization vertebral implants and methods and processes related to their manufacture. The dynamic and flexibility properties of the wrought Nickel/Titanium alloy spinal rod may be varied by altering processing parameters during manufacture that develop the shape memory characteristics, mechanical properties, and product workability characteristics to achieve custom manufacture of spinal rods having desired flexion in desired lengths. Such a custom manufactured spinal rod may be affixed to an inferior vertebral body at a standard lamina or pedicle location and to one superior vertebral body at a standard lamina or pedicle location using pedicle screws, lamina hooks, or pedicle hooks to provide dynamic stabilization between superior and inferior vertebrae in connection with a spinal fusion procedure. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20100236671 | ACTUATOR - An actuator ( | 09-23-2010 |
| 20110114230 | Nickel-Titanium-Rare Earth Alloy and Method of Processing the Alloy - A nickel-titanium-rare earth (Ni—Ti-RE) alloy comprises nickel at a concentration of from about 35 at. % to about 65 at. %, a rare earth element at a concentration of from about 1.5 at. % to about 15 at. %, boron at a concentration of up to about 0.1 at. %, with the balance of the alloy being titanium. In addition to enhanced radiopacity compared to binary Ni—Ti alloys and improved workability, the Ni—Ti-RE alloy preferably exhibits superelastic behavior. A method of processing a Ni—Ti-RE alloy includes providing a nickel-titanium-rare earth alloy comprising nickel at a concentration of from about 35 at. % to about 65 at. %, a rare earth element at a concentration of from about 1.5 at. % to about 15 at. %, the balance being titanium; heating the alloy in a homogenization temperature range below a critical temperature; and forming spheroids of a rare earth-rich second phase in the alloy while in the homogenization temperature range. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110277890 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING PHASE TRANSFORMATION TEMPERATURE IN METAL ALLOY OF A DEVICE - An efficient method to reduce product wastes due to inaccurate transformation temperatures for shape memory products and parts, which provides a useful method for optimizing shape memory alloys phase transformation temperatures and mechanical properties by using heat treatment procedures below 250 degrees C. for extended dwell times. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20120199253 | FE-BASED SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY AND ITS PRODUCTION METHOD - An Fe-based shape memory alloy comprising 25-42 atomic % of Mn, 12-18 atomic % of Al, and 5-12 atomic % of Ni, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and an Fe-based shape memory alloy comprising 25-42 atomic % of Mn, 12-18 atomic % of Al, and 5-12 atomic % of Ni, as well as 15 atomic % or less in total of at least one selected from the group consisting of 0.1-5 atomic % of Si, 0.1-5 atomic % of Ti, 0.1-5 atomic % of V, 0.1-5 atomic % of Cr, 0.1-5 atomic % of Co, 0.1-5 atomic % of Cu, 0.1-5 atomic % of Mo, 0.1-5 atomic % of W, 0.001-1 atomic % of B and 0.001-1 atomic % of C, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20130240096 | PHASE CHANGE GRADED SMA ACTUATORS - A shape memory alloy element is disclosed that is configured to undergo a graded phase change along a dimension of the shape memory alloy element in response to thermal stimulus. This graded phase change produces a graded displacement response of the shape memory element. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130327450 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UNIFORM EXPANSION AND HEAT SETTING OF MEDICAL DEVICES - Systems and methods for uniformly expanding and heat setting medical devices. One method can include expanding a medical device by advancing the medical device over a preheated expander, the medical device being uniformly expanded as the medical device is advanced over the preheated expander; and heat setting the expanded medical device while the medical device is positioned over the expander, the preheated expander being maintained at a predetermined heat-setting temperature. The preheated expander can be positioned within a thermal chamber that maintains the preheated expander at the predetermined heat-setting temperature. The medical device can be physically separated from the preheated expander when the medical device is positioned over the expander and can be comprised of a shape-memory material. The preheated expander can remain heated during the expansion and heat setting of a plurality of medical devices. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20140137991 | HIGH-TEMPERATURE SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - The present invention provides a high-temperature shape memory alloy, in which Hf, Zr, Ta, Nb, V, Mo, and W as a third element except Ni are added to TiPd to thereby improve high-temperature strength and exhibit large shape recovery in a high-temperature range of 200° C. to 500° C., and a method for producing the high-temperature shape memory alloy. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20150034217 | HYBRID BALLOON-EXPANDABLE/SELF-EXPANDING PROSTHESIS FOR DEPLOYMENT IN A BODY VESSEL AND METHOD OF MAKING - A hybrid prosthesis for deployment in a body vessel includes a tubular stent body comprising a wire comprising a shape memory alloy, where the tubular stent body has a self-expanding portion comprising a distal portion of the wire and a balloon-expandable portion comprising a proximal portion of the wire. The shape memory alloy comprises an A | 02-05-2015 |
| 20150083281 | HIGH TEMPERATURE SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATORS - A high temperature component having an actuator body including an actuatable portion comprising a shape memory alloy containing one more of Ni, Al, Nb, Ti and Ta and a platinum-group metal. The shape memory alloy has an altered geometry at a predetermined temperature. The actuator is also capable of operation in and is resistant to high temperature oxidizing atmospheres. A method for forming an actuator and a method for high temperature control are also disclosed. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20160008092 | Medical Instrument With Modified Memory and Flexibility Properties and Method | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160060740 | Cu-AI-Mn-BASED ALLOY ROD AND SHEET EXHIBITING STABLE SUPERELASTICITY, METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME, VIBRATION DAMPING MATERIAL USING THE SAME, AND VIBRATION DAMPING STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTED BY USING VIBRATION DAMPING MATERIAL - A Cu—Al—Mn-based alloy rod having superelastic characteristics and having a recrystallized microstructure substantially formed of a β single phase, wherein, for a longitudinal direction cross section of the rod, a region, in which a grain size of each of grains is a radius of the rod or more, is 90% or more of the longitudinal direction cross section at any location of the rod, and wherein an average grain size of the grains, in which the grain size is the radius of the rod or more, is 80% or more of a diameter of the rod; a Cu—Al—Mn-based alloy sheet; a production method thereof; a vibration damping material using thereof; a vibration damping structure constructed by using the vibration damping material. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160067069 | STENT AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SAME - This stent is a self-expandable stent constituted of an Ni—Ti base alloy or Co—Cr base alloy and formed into a cylindrical shape with mesh openings. The stent has been configured so that the Af point is 22-26° C., the stress-displacement curve has a yield point, and the crystal grains in a cross-section of the stent have an average cross-sectional area, as determined by the area fraction method, of 0.2-50 μm | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160068938 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING MATERIALS, INCLUDING SHAPE MEMORY MATERIALS - A method for treating a material comprising: applying energy to a predetermined portion of the material in a controlled manner such that the local chemistry of the predetermined portion is altered to provide a predetermined result. When the material is a shape memory material, the predetermined result may be to provide an additional memory to the predetermined portion or to alter the pseudo-elastic properties of the shape memory material. In other examples, which are not necessarily restricted to shape memory materials, the process may be used to adjust the concentration of components at the surface to allow the formation of an oxide layer at the surface of the material to provide corrosion resistance; to remove contaminants from the material; to adjust surface texture; or to generate at least one additional phase particle in the material to provide a nucleation site for grain growth, which in turn, can strengthen the material. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160166413 | METHOD OF FORMING A NITINOL STENT | 06-16-2016 |
| 20160177431 | THERMO-MECHANICAL PROCESSING OF NICKEL-TITANIUM ALLOYS | 06-23-2016 |
