new hope for men suffering from erectile
dysfunction. Scientists at the University of
Wisconsin–Madison used nitinol, a nickeltitanium
alloy known for its elasticity
and shape memory, to develop a device
that expands when heated. The implant
remains flaccid at normal human body
temperature, becomes erect when warmed
slightly, and returns to its flaccid state on
cooling. The device isn’t perfect: Men fitted
with it would get an erection every time
they bathed, unless they draped a cold, wet
towel over their groin. But Brian Le, who
led the research, hopes it will offer men with
treatment-resistant erectile dysfunction an
option that’s simpler and less awkward than
an implant requiring a penis pump. “We’re
hoping that, with a better device, a better
patient experience, and a simpler surgery,
more urologists would perform this operation,
and more patients would want to try
the device,” he tells MedicalDaily.com. Le
and his team are now working on a remote
control that would activate the implant, using
heat induction, when waved over the penis.
