Research and industrial markets supplier Goodfellow highlights the “exceptional” properties of platinum/iridium alloys, which make the alloys suitable for use in electronics within the medical field.

The company says its wires, including platinum/iridium wires, are at the forefront of innovative medical technologies, noting that, from cochlear implants and pacemakers to cyclotrons for proton cancer therapy, platinum/iridium wires play a key role in helping people.

Within medical therapies, platinum group metals (PGMs), and especially platinum/iridium wires, can be found in cancer treatments, cardiac treatments, implants, and dental and medical devices, Goodfellow says.

It avers that platinum’s excellent biocompatibility, corrosive resistance, radiopacity and electroconductivity, make it a highly sought-after material for bioelectronics.

Goodfellow says platinum/iridium wires benefit from the chemical stability and malleability of platinum and the increased hardness of iridium, while maintaining the key attributes of biocompatibility – namely corrosive resistance, radiopacity and electroconductivity.

This combination of attributes makes it an exceptional material for use in components for medical devices, particularly in the form of a platinum/iridium wire, it points out.

Goodfellow says platinum/iridium wires are already bettering lives around the globe, having been applied to medical devices such as cochlear implants, pacemakers, and cyclotrons for proton cancer therapy.

Owing to their properties, it posits that platinum/iridium wires are an ideal choice for ongoing developments and advancements in medical research, applications, devices and innovations.

One of the key medical devices that uses platinum/iridium wires is a cochlear implant. Another vital medical device that is supported by platinum/iridium wires is a pacemaker.

In recent years, platinum/iridium wires have been used to create cyclotrons for proton cancer therapy. Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that uses protons rather than X-rays to target and eradicate specific types of tumours.

A particle accelerator is at the core of the system – one type of which is a cyclotron. Hydrogen gas is used to provide a source of positively charged protons. The cyclotron uses magnets to bend these protons on a circular path and radio waves to provide energy to speed up the protons to two-thirds the speed of light.

Platinum/iridium wires are used in certain cyclotrons, enabling this cancer treatment, Goodfellow explains.