Heraeus - Platinum Alloys for Pacemakers and Defibrillators

The use of platinum alloys in pacemakers and defibrillators, alongside other medical implants, has become an innovative way of curing patients and improving quality of life.

The demand for health and an enjoyable life sets the pace for further innovation of medical devices. Physicians and engineers work together to find new procedures and devices that protect patients from life-threatening conditions and enable them to lead a life full of vitality.

Pacemakers and defibrillators are used in the fast-growing area of heart disease treatment. Other active implants work as a medication pumps for pain or cancer treatment. Active neurostimulation can block or calm epileptic strokes and help to treat the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

None of these devices would function without utilizing the biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and electrochemical stability of Platinum Group Metals (PGM).

BENEFITS OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS

Platinum alloys offer a number of unmatched features in pacemaker design, including being highly-biocompatible and corrosion resistant at anodic and cathodic potentials.

They offer a good X-ray visibility, which allows the physician a precise implantation, and as a platinum iridium alloy with 20% or even 30% iridium content, they have high mechanical strength. They can therefore be coiled and sharpened into helixes, which are screwed into the heart tissue to fix the electrodes in place.

A precise sensing of the heart's own activity is important in determining the stimulation levels needed. Microporous coatings improve the sensing behaviour a thousand-fold, compared with a bare metal surface.

If the heart beats too fast, often only a real electric shock can stop and reset it. These shocks can be of up to 700V with energies over 30J, and are often generated by Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD). These pacemakers have the additional function of storing high electrical energy and applying it to the heart when needed.

A wound platinum iridium ribbon offers a high surface to give the electrical shock to the heart, whilst the spiral structure makes it flexible so that it can follow the movement of the heart with every beat. Corrosion resistance at anodic and cathodic potentials of 700V is another reason for choosing platinum iridium.

THE FUTURE OF MEDICAL DEVICES

With over one million implantations per year, pacemakers and defibrillators are important devices in our healthcare services, and demand is continually increasing.

The tailored use of PGMs gives way to new generations of pacemakers, defibrillators and their leads, which cure patients and help support a normal lifestyle. Platinum alloy electrodes are also used in the other areas of neurostimulation. Platinum ribbons can be flexibly wrapped around the vagus nerve, or miniature tips and rings implanted in the brain.

All of these specialised platinum-based components require a good understanding of the materials and a perfect control of the sophisticated manufacturing processes. Both are offered by the medical components division of W. C. Heraeus.

ABOUT HERAEUS

Heraeus, a precious metals and technology group headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is a global company focusing on the business segments of precious metals, dental health, sensors, quartz glass and speciality lighting sources. With revenues of more than €9bn and more than 10,600 employees in over 100 companies, Heraeus has established itself over the last 150 years as one of the world's leading companies involved in precious metals and materials technology.