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Smarter Alloys Granted Patent for Smart Materials Technology

WATERLOO, Ontario (Canada)—Smarter Alloys, a smart-materials engineering company, announced it was awarded patents on its innovative Multiple Memory Material technology by the United States Patent Office and the Chinese Patent Office. The patent covers Smarter Alloys’ method for programming more than one memory into shape memory alloys, making it possible to closely control the unique properties of the material.

Shape memory alloys are special metals that can remember their original profile. If they become deformed, heating them will prompt them to spring back into shape. Until recently, however, these alloys have been limited to just one memory.

“For us, it’s about pushing the boundaries of shape memory alloys to develop the devices of tomorrow,” said Dr. Ibraheem Khan, CEO of Smarter Alloys and co-inventor of Multiple Memory Material, in a release from the company. “We’re unlocking the true potential of these smart materials to function as machines. Our technology opens a new paradigm for devices with enhanced functionality enabled by this additional element of control.”

Smarter Alloys reports that its Multiple Memory Material technology changes that one memory limit. Smarter Alloys claims its new memory metal will revolutionize medical devices, such as stents and catheter guidewires. It enables designers to tune the local properties of different sections of a device, offering a new dimension of control.

The first commercial application of the technology is in the orthodontic archwires used for braces. SmartArch wires are programmed to provide biomechanically optimized forces to match the needs of individual teeth, resulting in optimized treatments and fewer visits to the orthodontist.

Beyond orthodontics, Smarter Alloys is actively developing applications of the technology for other dental devices, medical devices, robotics, and automotive applications, to name a few. Several additional patent applications have been filed and are expected to be granted over the coming years.

Founded in 2010 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, Smarter Alloys is a privately controlled Canadian corporation. The firm says its unique ability to program shape memory behavior into microscopic regions of materials allows complex machine-like function from simple devices.