Patent ID: 8644951

Claim:
An MRI compatible medical device having at least one non-magnetic metal alloy portion, wherein said metal alloy portion comprises: a bulk portion including a first and at least a second metal different from said first metal; a surface of said metal alloy portion compositionally and/or structurally different from said bulk portion including an integral MRI heating resistant surface structure having a thickness>3 nanometers, said MRI heating resistant surface structure comprising at least one of: (i) a matrix phase comprising said first and said second metal having a plurality of nanometer scale to micron scale particles, precipitates and/or inclusions therein constituting a volume fraction>3%, wherein said particles, precipitates or inclusions differ in chemical composition and physical characteristics from said matrix phase and are discontinuously distributed therein; (ii) a level of crystallinity that is at least 5% less as compared to a level of crystallinity in said bulk portion of said metal alloy portion; and (iii) one or more metal atoms different from said first and second metal having a concentration profile evidencing diffusion which varies as a function of distance into said metal alloy portion.