Published in Journal of Industrial Engineering and Robotics, Volume 5, Number 2
Written by BANIAS Rebeca, NINU David, MATEI Stefan
Scientific coordinators: Claudia BORDA

This paper aims to summarize the medical applications of shape memory materials, which are opening unexplored horizons and are presenting unconventional functions for the biomedical field. This kind of materials are stimulus-sensitive materials that can be deformed and fixed into a temporary stable shape under specific conditions of mechanical deformation and temperature, then recover their stress-free original shape upon exposure to an appropriate stimulus such as temperature, electric field, magnetic field, pH change, or near-infrared light. The most important and widely used classes of shape memory materials are alloys and polymers, known under the names SMAs and SMPs. This type of materials are known to be used in the orthopedic field, vascular surgery and neurosurgery fields, as well as orthodontics, endovascular surgery and tissue engineering.

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