Patent ID: 8398916

Claim:
A method for forming a medical device comprising the steps of: a) forming a rod or tube having a surface and an outer cross-sectional area, said rod or tube including a metal alloy that is formed of at least about 95 weight percent of a solid solution of molybdenum and rhenium or tungsten and tantalum; b) drawing down said outer cross-sectional area of said rod or tube by a reducing mechanism; c) annealing said rod or tube at an annealing temperature in an oxygen reducing environment or inert environment after said rod or tube has been drawn down; d) cooling said annealed rod or tube at a rate of at least about 100° C. per minute; e) drawing down said cross-sectional area of said rod or tube by the reducing mechanism after said rod or tube has been annealed; and, f) annealing said rod or tube at least one additional time at an annealing temperature that is lower than at least one annealing temperature of a previous annealing of said rod or tube.