Silver alloys for use in medical, surgical and microsurgical instruments and process for producing the alloys

Abstract

Alloys for medical, surgical and microsurgical instruments are proposed which comprise 0.01% to 20% by weight of germanium, from 0-25% of shallow hydrogenic and / or non-hydrogenic acceptor dopants in terms of weight ratio in relation to germanium, from 0% up to 20% by weight of one or more of the following compounds such as platinum, gold, palladium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminium, silicon, hafnium, yttrium, lanthanum, zirconium with the remainder, up to 100% by weight, constituted by silver and inevitable impurities, wherein instruments from these alloys possess properties such as no capacitive impedance in relation to the electrode-tissue interface; a Far Infrared Radiation (FIR) emitting capacity when energized by any form of energy; sulfurization, corrosion and oxidation resistant and have suitable hardness for their intended use; emit anions and may possess fractal surfaces.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of prior filed copending U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 726,100 filed Dec. 2, 2003 which claims the priority of Italian Patent Application Serial No. PA 2003 A 000007, filed May 19, 2003, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), and which claims the benefit of prior filed provisional application, Appl. No. 60 / 499,469, filed Sep. 2, 2003, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(e), the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to noble metal alloys, and in particular silver and / or gold alloys for use in manufacturing medical, surgical and microsurgical instruments. The present invention also relates to a method of producing such alloys on the basis of silver and / or gold metal alloys.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Pure metals and metal alloys which are generally composed of silver, gold, platinum, brass, steel, titanium, tungsten, palladium and the li...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021]It is another feature of the present invention that the alloy contains semiconductor microcrystals in the form of p-type germanium quantum dots which renders the alloy suitable as constituent material for medical, surgical and micro-surgical instruments.

[0029]The surface of the instruments made from alloys according to the present invention can have a fractal geometry for a better energy distribution;

[0030]The alloy has excellent sulfurization, corrosion and oxidation resistance even under arduous conditions.

Problems solved by technology

However, instruments made from these metal alloys do not always retain their hardness over a course of time due to their repeated exposure to heat during the course of their use in, for example, when carrying out electro-surgery.

Thus, it is very difficult to retain proper hardness over a long course of time, specifically with respect to surgical instruments.

Retaining hardness in surgical instruments as referred in the above-described prior art patent documents is extremely difficult and the loss of hardness is a major drawback in this physical criteria in the afore-stated patents.

Furthermore, the prior art references do not disclose or teach any alloys that are suitable for medical, surgical and micro-surgical instruments and which possess a very low capacitive impedance with respect to an electrode-tissue interface, nor does the prior art disclose instruments that are able to emit far infrared radiation (FIR) used in the treatment of biological tissue in the medical field, specifically in the surgical field.

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