Additive Manufacturing for Platinum Alloys

The use of platinum-iridium (PtIr) alloys for pins and electrodes in medical devices is growing substantially in applications such as cardio and neuromodulation devices. In this article, pens are defined as those used in feedthroughs for ceramic implants, generally straight wire with specific cutoff features on the ends, and electrodes are defined as those providing direct electrostimulation to tissues, which are essentially wires that have additional features machined into them. The benefits and features discussed herein, using additive manufacturing (AM), also apply to other types of PtIr components, where the end pieces can be fabricated from different preforms besides wires. The ongoing miniaturization of implantable and insertable devices is magnifying the need for controlling the bulk metal material consistency. Cost is always an important issue as well.