Heat-Activated Penis Implant: A Solution to a Hard Problem?

(Credit: Alberto Colombo, Southern Illinois University) Brian Le hopes his new twist on the penile implant will appeal to a growing market. Le, a faculty member in the department of urology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, wants to restore erectile function in men using a new, heat-activated metal called nitinol — a nickel-titanium alloy known for its elastic properties. Le’s implant is essentially a nitinol exoskeleton that remains flaccid at body temperature, but expands when heated by just a few degrees. The nitinol scaffold “remembers” its erect shape, and assumes it when activated, returning to its flaccid state when cooled. The device could be implanted with a relatively simple operation, Le says. It’s good news for men who have lost erectile function due to injury or, for example, prostate cancer. Right now, Le and his collaborators are working on a remote-control device that could be waved over the penis, heating the ...