Back in November, scientists in America revealed plans for a penis implant made of a special heat-activated memory metal called Nitinol.
Now the medics and materials experts have released a video that shows exactly how the implant would work, and it’s ingeniously simple.
As it’s dipped in warm water, the implant straightens, becoming resistant to stress almost immediately. It reverts to its normal shape when it’s returned to body temperature.
Researchers say a urologist could fit the implant during a simple operation. A remote-control device that can activate the metal with mild heating is in development.
About 40 per cent of men between 40 and 70 have some sort of erectile dysfunction, a third of whom don’t respond to drugs like Viagra.
But the scientists say that the technology behind implants hasn’t improved in 40 years and their solution represents a step forward for people with ED.
At the moment, men have the option of an inflatable penis which requires a complicated operation, or a malleable device which can cause tissue damage.
Brian Le, a materials expert behind the device, said: “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.”