Metal Cutting has been providing tungsten wire and gold plated tungsten wire in a multitude of sizes, plating thicknesses and configurations including flat, round and ribbon, as an alternative for gold, platinum and palladium in such applications as radiopaque fluoroscopic application in cardiac rhythm management, neurovascular and vascular intervention, minimally invasive surgery and x-ray diagnostics.

 

 

Metal Cutting, a global manufacturer specializing in the fabrication of precision parts for medical applications has been supplying radiopaque tungsten, tungsten alloy, and gold plated tungsten wire to the medical device community for over 30 years.

Tungsten is as radiopaque as precious metals, with a density equivalent to gold (significantly higher than palladium, and only slightly less than platinum) at 19.3 g/cm3. Some of the benefits of pure gold can be achieved by gold plating, with plating thicknesses from 0.3µ to 1.5µ available. Notably, as tungsten remains unaffected by speculative pricing (unlike precious metals), it is a cost-effective replacement for gold, platinum and palladium alloy wires.

Tungsten’s tensile strength is significantly higher than other radiopaque metals, maintaining 2400-3600 N/mm2. Tungsten also has a mineral hardness of 7.5, while platinum has a hardness of 4.5 and gold just 2.5. The combination of hardness and tensile strength make for stiffer coils and more steerable braids—ideal for guide wires and probes.

In addition to tensile strength and mineral hardness, tungsten is also heat resistant (with the highest melting point of any metal, at 3140° C and a boiling point of 5900° C), as well as corrosion resistant (being only slightly affected by most mineral acids) making it an optimal biomaterial for probes and heat resistant biomedical textiles.

Providing tungsten wire and gold plated tungsten wire in a multitude of sizes, plating thicknesses and configurations including flat, round and ribbon, Metal Cutting successfully supplies materials for radiopaque fluoroscopic application in cardiac rhythm management, neurovascular and vascular intervention, minimally invasive surgery and x-ray diagnostics.