Grain Size Refinement of Near Beta Titanium Alloys - A Route to Developing New Advanced Medical Implants and Devices (2012-2015)

This project aims to develop new titanium alloys for application as vascular stents in endovascular procedures. This aim will be achieved by concurrently addressing two key technical challenges: 1. Alloy development: Based on grain refinement knowledge and techniques recently developed at UQ, the titanium alloy chemistry will be modified while maintaining biocompatibility and the properties optimised to improve the essential radial force requirements of fine wire and tubular stents so that blood vessels remain open and unblocked. 2. Formability: This challenge is to form tubular stents of sufficiently small diameter that they may be compressed enough to be deployed in the human body within small vessel diameters.