Manufacturing Platinum Iridium Medical Devices
What Is Platinum Iridium?
Platinum Iridium (abbreviated Pt/Ir) is a metal alloy with the chemical stability of platinum and the added hardness of iridium. The most used alloy of platinum iridium is 90% Platinum / 10% Iridium. The density of 90% Platinum/10% Iridium is 21.56g/cm3. Pt/Ir is very useful when used for a radiopaque marker. The high density of Platinum Iridium makes it an ideal fit for visualization under medical imaging equipment. Pt/Ir marker bands can be positioned along catheters at positions of interest, usually the distal end of a catheter.
Once integrated easily into catheters, physicians can use the radiopaque Pt/Ir marker bands for tracking the positioning of catheters in the anatomy and the instruments and implants deployed and retrieved through the lumen.
