A radiopaque composite wire for medical applications comprises a core comprising a rare earth metal, an outer layer comprising a nickel-titanium alloy disposed over the core, and a diffusion barrier comprising a barrier material between the core and the outer layer. A method of making a radiopaque composite wire includes cold drawing a composite billet through a die, where the composite billet includes a tube comprising a nickel-titanium alloy disposed about a rod comprising a rare earth metal, and a barrier layer comprising a barrier material disposed between the tube and the rod. After cold drawing, the composite billet is annealed to relieve strain. After multiple passes of the cold drawing and annealing, a radiopaque composite wire having a core comprising the rare earth metal, an outer layer comprising the nickel-titanium alloy, and a diffusion barrier comprising the barrier material between the core and the outer layer is formed.

Guide wire devices fabricated from a linear pseudo-elastic NiTi alloy and methods for their manufacture. The NiTi alloy that includes nickel, titanium, and about 3 atomic % (at %) to about 30 at % niobium (Nb). Cold working the NiTi alloy stabilizes the alloy's martensitic phase and yields a linear pseudo-elastic microstructure where reversion to the austenite phase is retarded or altogether blocked. The martensitic phase of cold worked, linear pseudo-elastic NiTiNb alloy has an elastic modulus that is considerably higher than the comparable cold worked, linear pseudoelastic binary NiTi alloy. This yields a guide wire device that has better torque response and steerability as compared to cold worked, linear pseudoelastic binary NiTi alloy or superelastic binary NiTi alloy.

A biocompatible surgical article is provided for cutting biological tissue or implantation in contact therewith. The surgical article has a composition of tungsten carbide-nickel with a percentage of additional metal carbides present. A typical composition in total weight percentages is WC 85 to 95%, Cr.sub.3C.sub.2, Mo.sub.2C, VC each alone or in combination being present from 0 to 2%, and Ni constituting the remainder. The composition is formed to have a mean grain size of between 200 and 800 nm with a particle dispersion index (PdI) corresponding to (the square of the standard deviation)/(mean grain size) of between 0 and 0.6, and in some embodiments between 0.02 and 0.2.

The invention relates to a coating for an implant component, a method for producing an implant component having said coating, and a use of said coating on an implant component. The coating is intended for an implant component, in particular a spinal implant component, and is a TiNb coating which has, in addition to an atom % proportion of Ti and an atom % proportion of Nb, an atom % proportion of 5-30 atom % of Ag.

The present invention relates to a lipiodol-based composite embolic agent of active metal microspheres or nano-hydrides, a preparation method therefor, and applications thereof. It belongs to the technical field of medicines. The composite embolic agent of the present invention is composed of lipiodol and active metal microspheres or nano-hydrides, wherein the lipiodol serves as a dispersant and a protectant that can decrease the reaction rate of the active metal microspheres or nano-hydrides with water. Methods for preparing the active metal microspheres and the nano-hydrides involved in the present invention are simple, and can be used for mass preparation in a short time. The composite embolic agent prepared in the present invention is locally delivered to liver tumor tissues by interventional operation to allow deposition of lipiodol on the liver tumor tissue to induce embolization; in addition, active metal microspheres or hydrides release hydrogen in situ to induce hydrogen treatment, thereby amplifying the embolization effect. The composite embolic agent as defined in the present invention regulates tumor microenvironment by in situ release of hydrogen, hydroxide, or the like from the active metal microspheres or hydrides, showing a better combined embolization effect than simple lipiodol embolization.

Stents or scaffolds made from magnesium or magnesium alloys including additives or barrier coatings that modify the corrosion rate of the stent are disclosed. Methods of forming barrier coatings that modify the corrosion rate of the stent are disclosed.

The invention relates to a composite material that comprises at least one magnesium component, whereby the magnesium component consists of pure magnesium or a magnesium-calcium alloy or a magnesium-calcium-X alloy, whereby X is another biodegradable element. The composite material also contains at least one organic anti-infective agent having a solubility in water at room temperature of less than 10 grams per liter.

A method for controlling generation of biologically desirable voids in a composition placed in proximity to bone or other tissue in a patient by selecting at least one water-soluble inorganic material having a desired particle size and solubility, and mixing the water-soluble inorganic material with at least one poorly-water-soluble or biodegradable matrix material. The matrix material, after it is mixed with the water-soluble inorganic material, is placed into the patient in proximity to tissue so that the water-soluble inorganic material dissolves at a predetermined rate to generate biologically desirable voids in the matrix material into which bone or other tissue can then grow.

Biodegradable, magnesium alloys and composites, articles produced therefrom, methods of making the same, and methods of using the same are described.

A method for controlling generation of biologically desirable voids in a composition placed in proximity to bone or other tissue in a patient by selecting at least one water-soluble inorganic material having a desired particle size and solubility, and mixing the water-soluble inorganic material with at least one poorly-water-soluble or biodegradable matrix material. The matrix material, after it is mixed with the water-soluble inorganic material, is placed into the patient in proximity to tissue so that the water-soluble inorganic material dissolves at a predetermined rate to generate biologically desirable voids in the matrix material into which bone or other tissue can then grow.