Originally Published EMDM March/April 2002
MATERIALS
Guidewire material eliminates superelastic plateau
At its booth at the Medica show, Furukawa Electric Europe Ltd. (London) introduced visitors to a high-stiffness guidewire with no yield point and no superelastic plateau. The guidewire material, called FHP-NT, is unique in its combination of high stiffness and straightness with flexibility and kink resistance. The material offers high torque transmission, and is designed to allow medical manufacturers to produce guidewires without infringing on a well-known international patent. According to Andrew Proffitt, technical sales manager at Furukawa, this is a "tremendous opportunity."
Proffitt explains that Furukawa melts the nitinol alloy in-house, which provides the company with a high degree of control over the material. "We are a raw-material supplier, but we have expertise in the medical industry. This allows us to develop different grades of alloy for specific applications," he says, noting that the company supplies nitinol in coil spring, tube, wire, and sheet form. Proffitt adds that visitors at the show expressed high interest in Furukawa's FHP material.
Benjamin Lichtman
Copyright ©2002 European Medical Device Manufacturer
