Nitinol Wire for Medical Products

As many Exacto Spring customers might know, our spring and wireform products are used in so many industries and applications. From use in military parts to minimally-invasive surgeries, they’re pretty much everywhere.  And, just as there are many varied uses for our products, there are many varied materials that can be used to make them. The material selected typically depends on the specific application—chances are, materials chosen for military parts will be different than those selected for minimally-invasive surgeries—but options abound.

One material that is seeing ever growing popularity is Nitinol wire, which is most often used in medical applications. Nitinol is a material made of near equal atomic weight percentages of nickel and titanium, and comes in various grades; Nitinol #1, #2, #4, and #8 are used for medical applications, and Nitinol #5, #6, and #9 are used for other purposes.  While it can be challenging to work with, Nitinol wire is a fascinating material that can be crumpled up and placed into areas of the body, and always returns to its shape (watch it in action here).

One of the premier manufacturers of Nitinol wire is Fort Wayne Metals, who supply about 90% of the medical wire used in the industry.  Their Nitinol #1—the most common medical grade—exceeds ASTM F2063 standards for use in surgical implants, and is used in devices such as stents, stone retrieval baskets, stylets, and more.

Our experience and expertise, coupled with this material’s unique properties, create medical products that are second to none.  Feel free to contact us  with any questions.