Marker alloy
A marker alloy foreign implant made of a biodegradable metallic material and having the composition MgxYbyMz wherein x is equal to 10-60 atomic percent; y is equal to 40-90 atomic percent; z is equal to 0-10 atomic percent; M is one or more element selected from the group consisting of Ag, Zn, Au, Ga, Pd, Pt, Al, Sn, Ca, Nd, Ba, Si, and Ge; and wherein x, y, and z, together, and including contaminants caused by production, result in 100 atomic percent.
1. A marker alloy for an implant made of a biodegradable metallic material, comprising:
a marker alloy of the composition MgxYbyMz wherein
x is equal to 10-60 atomic percent;
y is equal to 40-90 atomic percent;
z is equal to 3-8 atomic percent;
M is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ag, Zn, Ga, Pd, Pt, Al, Sn, Ca, Si, and Ge; and wherein
x, y, and z, together, and including contaminants caused by production, result in 100 atomic percent.
2. The marker alloy of claim 1 , wherein
x equals 25-40 atomic percent; and
y equals 60-75 atomic percent.
3. The marker alloy of claim 2 , wherein
x equals 28-35 atomic percent; and
y equals 65-72atomic percent.
4. The marker alloy of claim 3 , wherein the marker alloy comprises Mg30.5Yb66.2M3.3.
5. The marker alloy of claim 1 , wherein the biodegradable metallic material of the implant is an alloy of an element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, iron, and tungsten.
6. The marker alloy of claim 1 wherein the implant is made of a biodegradable metallic material, comprising:
5.2-9.9wt. % of at least one rare earth metal selected from the group consisting of scandium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium;
3.7-5.5 wt. % yttrium;
less than 1 wt. % contaminants caused by production; and,
the balance up to 100 wt. % being magnesium.
7. The alloy as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ratio of Mg to Yb is about 1:2.17.
8. The alloy as claimed in claim 1 , wherein M is an element selected from the group consisting of Ag, Pd, and Pt.
9. An x-ray marker for an implant comprising the marker alloy of claim 1 .
10. An implant incorporating the marker alloy of claim 1 .
11. The implant of claim 10 , wherein
x equals 25-40 atomic percent; and
y equals 60-75 atomic percent.
12. The implant of claim 11 , wherein
x equals 28-35 atomic percent; and
y equals 65-72 atomic percent.
13. The implant of claim 12 , having the marker alloy composition Mg30.5Yb66.2M3.3.
14. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the biodegradable metallic material of the implant is an alloy of an element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, iron, and tungsten.
15. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the implant is a stent.