Applications of Shape Memory Alloy

Biswajeet Bedanta
EEE, MSRIT
Bangalore, India
bbedanta@gmail.com
Abstract After the Shape Memory Effect was first discovered
in 1930s, the whole shape memory alloy technology has
experienced a dramatic development. Due to the biocompatibility
of these alloys it is now extensively used in orthopedic and
cardiovascular applications as well as in the manufacture of new
surgical tools. There are many applications in the industrial
sector. Eyeglass frames were an early example and cellular phone
antennas consume millions of feet of superelastic wires. SMA
actuators continue to achieve steady growth in safety valves for
both consumer and industrial applications.

with the testing temperature and are higher for increased

temperature.

Index Terms Shape Memory Alloys (SMA), Minimally

Invasive Surgery (MIS), Micropumps, Microactuators,
Application, Pumps, TiNi, cardiovascular surgery, orthopedic
surgery

I. INTRODUCTION
A shape-memory alloy (SMA, smart metal, memory metal,
smart alloy) is an alloy that remembers its original, coldforged shape; returning to the pre-defined shape when heated
The behavior of memory metals is caused by a change in the
internal structure of the material by a martensitic
transformation, fig.1 gives the reversible temperature induced
transformation. During the heating the memory effect take
place in the trajectory As-Af and during cooling the reverse
transformation to martensite occurs in the trajectory Ms-Mf.

Fig. 2. Stress-Strain curve for steel and superelastic NiTi, where the dashed
areas represent the stored energy for the same stress.

From As to Af the memory metal tries to return to the

predefined shape, but if this free recovery is constrained it will
build up recovery stress. In fig.3 this recovery stress is shown
as the vertical line which runs from the lower, unloaded and
deformed position to the unloading plateau of the curve, which
belongs to the higher temperature level

Fig. 1. Influence of the temperature on the transformation of martensite to

austensite in a NiTi- shape memory alloy.

Fig.2 shows a typical stress-strain curve of superelastic NiTialloy, which can be deformed until 8% strain without
permanent deformation. Loading and unloading curves both
show a plateau, where the stress level is almost independent of
the strain. These values of loading and unloading plateau vary

Fig. 3. Stress-Strain curve for martensite and austensite. Building up of

recovery stress when free recovery is constrained upon heating.

II. WET SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATED ROBOTIC PUMP

IV. ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

Just as the human heart provides energy to the muscles in the

body, the robotic SMA pump distributes thermofluidic energy
to arrays of SMA actuators that function as robotic muscles.
The robotic pump draws from its own fluidic output to assist
in the actuation of its own internal SMA actuators, just as a
portion of the blood pumped by the human heart supplies
energy to its own muscles. The volumetric output-toinput ratios of 1.4 using fluid-only actuation and
2.1 with the assistance of Joule heating. This SMA
pump is capable of pumping a net output of 66 mL/min, which
is two orders of magnitude larger than the output of any other
SMA pump. The maximum theoretical efficiency
that this system can achieve is 3.4%.

The early applications of Nitinol in orthopaedic surgery were

staples and clamps to treat adolescent scoliosis and bone
fractures. The fusionless scoliosis correction using minimally
invasive SMA staple was examined in animal models and the
early results were promising in correcting moderate to severe
scoliosis and halting the malignant progression without fusion.
The Nitinol implants found no negative effect on new bone
formation, and even the bone modeling could be controlled by
a constant bending force applied to the bone through a
functional SMA implant. Recent development of porous
Nitinol has shown good biocompatibility and excellent bone
ingrowths, which could be used as ideal bone substitute.

Fig. 4. wet SMA actuator concept

III. CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY

The first Nitinol stent was made by Dotters group in 1983; it
was a simple coiled Nitinol wire and was delivered into a
dogs femoral artery by guide catheter (Fig. 5). The stainless
steel stent was introduced into clinical use by Palmaz and
Schatz in 1987. The concept of Nitinol stent covered with
fabric graft was first introduced in 1993. Since then stent has
evolved into an enabling technology as drug delivery device
rather than a pure mechanical scaffold. Although stent is the
most widely known SMA device in minimally invasive
cardiovascular therapy to revascularize arteries, Nitinol stent
have also been used in other parts of human body including
stents for esophagus, gastrointestinal tract, ureter, tracheal
airway, and vascular anastomosis device, radiofrequency
ablation catheter and prosthetic heart valves.

V. THIN-FILM SMA ACTUATED MICROPUMPS

Micropumps capable of precise handling of low-fluid volumes
have the potential to revolutionize applications in fields such
as drug delivery, fuel injection, and micrototal chemical
analysis systems (TAS). Traditional microactuators used in
micropumps suffer from low strokes and, as a result, are
unsuitable for achieving large fluid displacement. They also
suffer low-actuation work densities, which translate to low
forces. The use shape-memory effect (SME) in thin-film
shape-memory alloy (SMA) titanium nickel (TiNi) as an
actuator for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based
microfluidic devices, as it is capable of both high force and
high strains. The resistivity of the SMA thin film is suitable
for Joule heating, which allows direct electrical control of the
actuator. A maximum water flow rate of 50 l/min was
achieved.
VI. EYEGLASS FRAME
Today, NiTi SMA has achieved a permanent place in high-end
eyeglass frames. The use of superelastic SMA components for
the nose piece (bridge) and ear pieces (temples) provide
improved wearer comfort as well as great resistance to
accidental damage. To achieve the highly kink-resistant
superelasticity over a wide range of environmental
temperatures, these components are usually highly coldworked followed by a low temperature heat treatment to
impart work-hardened pseudoelasticity. Because of the
difficulty in welding NiTi to dissimilar materials, the ends of a
NiTi bridge are mechanically crimped into a silver-nickel
casing before being soldered onto the rims. NiTi frames are
now manufactured worldwide in the many designs with a wide
variety in surface finish and coating dictated by fashion
(Fig.6).

Fig. 5. Nitinol stents. a) First Nitinol coil wire stent, the compacted shape is for catheter placement and the expanded shape after saline heating at 60C. b)The latest
Abbott Acculink stent with complex patterns and optimized tapered design to fit individual patient anatomies

up and down as per requirement. The grid has a Braille

display, where pins come up to present character. The phone is
currently being prototyped. Fig.7 shows a prototype.

Fig. 6. NiTi eyeglass frames.

VII. CELLULAR PHONE ANTENNA

The cellular phone antenna, formerly of stainless steel, is now
universally manufactured from superelastic NiTi alloy due to
great resistance to permanent set on bending and accidental
damage. Utilizing the same principle for manufacturing
superelastic NiTi eyeglass frame, significant cold work is
often used to enhance the low temperature superelasticity. Nirich chemistry or ternary addition is also used to achieve this
desired property. A photograph of typical cellular phone
antenna is shown in Fig.7

Fig. 8. A prototype display of Braille Smartphone

IX. CONCLUSION
Memory metals offer very interesting properties to designers of
a wide range of products. The application of super elasticity
has been successful in eyeglass frames and antennas for
cellular phones. The application for medical stents and
guidewires are becoming very important these days. Since TiNi
wires are not only flexible, but their high corrosion resistance
and good biocompatibility also make them ideal for these
purposes. Medical applications are leading the way at present
times. After successful completion of braille smartphone, it can
empower the visually impaired population.
X. REFERENCES

Fig. 7. Cellular phone antenna

VIII.

BRAILLE SMARTPHONE

Braille Phone is a smartphone for the visually impaired. The

smartphone uses Shape Memory Alloy technology. A touch
screen made of tiny, height-variable bumps allows users to
'feel' information and brings printed and visual resources
like maps and animations to life. This screen is capable of
elevating and depressing the contents to form patterns in
braille. The phones screen has a grid of pins, which will move

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