As originally asked by Takuya Nakamura.

I am working for a Japanese company, has its experties in fabrication of Platinum family metal. I hear a lots of precious metal are used in Medical Devices, but I do not know where, how, and why exactly they are used. I am especially interested the potential of Iridium metal in this field. Could someone help me how to start marketing in the U.S.?

Takuya Nakamura
President & CEO at Furuya Metal Americas Inc.
Thanks Donald san, it’s very helpful!

Donald Jones
Director of Intellectual Property at Apollo Endosurgery Inc
Nakamura-san,

Platinum-Iridium 90/10(and Platinum- Tungsten 92/8) alloys are also used to manufacture detachable coils for the endovascular treatment of aneurysms by interventional neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons. These alloys are used primarily due to their performance as stable, long term biocompatible implant materials and visibility under X-ray.

Lev Melinyshyn
CEO at Uresil, LLC
No problem – good luck. Lev

Takuya Nakamura
President & CEO at Furuya Metal Americas Inc.
Thank you Randy san, I will contact you soon!

Takuya Nakamura
President & CEO at Furuya Metal Americas Inc.
Thank you Melinyshyn san for your very kind information. I now understood that platinum iridium is used as a marker for catheters. Its role is like a lighthouse for doctors, isn’t it? It sounds very important.I will study it further.Thank you once again!

Randy Earls
President/CEO at Bunting, Earls and Associates Inc.
I would be interested in discussing applications and requirements for such metals with you further. Please contact me at [email protected].
Thanks,
Randy.

Lev Melinyshyn
CEO at Uresil, LLC
Dear Nakamura-san,
We make and sell catheters used by interventional radiologists. Some of these catheters are sold in the Japanese market as well as in the U.S. We use platinum-iridium markers on our catheters to make them visible under x-ray/CT. We buy them as short, thin walled tubes and then attach them to our catheters. We use barium sulfate to make the entire catheter radiopaque, but the platinum markers “light up” a specific portion of the device so that the doctor’s attention can be drawn to that specific portion of the device.
Good luck.

Takuya Nakamura
President & CEO at Furuya Metal Americas Inc.
Thank you Paul for your kind reply to my unmatured discussion. I will surely start from searching the databases.

Paul Freer
Director of Software Engineering at Nalu Medical, Inc
As to your primary question about “how to start marketing in the U.S.”, this isn’t the right forum to learn the basics of marketing. Regarding your implied question about where/how/why precious metals are used in medical devices, that is often the source of confidential information. However, some public information is available. Try searching patent databases and research papers for references to iridium because some medical devices use iridium oxide in parts that are in contact with human tissue.