Induction heating for the removal of liquid metal-based implant mimics: A proof-of-concept

Abstract

Eutectic alloys have long been investigated for their unique properties such as single point melting temperature, homogenous structures, and uniform distribution of phases. In this work, we synthesized and characterized two low melting temperature liquid metal alloys. Eutectic alloys of indium-tin-bismuth (Field's metal) and Field's metal-like alloy with traces of zinc (0.4 wt%) were studied through a series of structural, thermal, microstructural, and mechanical tests. The in vitro biocompatibility of the alloys was assessed to investigate their potential application as bioimplants. These low melting point alloys (∼62 °C and ∼60 °C for Field's metal and the alloy with zinc, respectively) were utilized to address one of the major issues faced by the conventional use of bioimplants, which is the invasive surgery. We provide a proof-of-concept utilizing the combination of induction heating with the Field's metal-based alloys with suitable melting points. The approach enabled a contactless melting and extraction for the non-invasive removal of the bioimplant mimic from a polymer matrix, that can be potentially translated to the human body. We believe that this approach will provide fundamental insights for future biomedical applications and the design of liquid metal based non-invasive implants.