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Fabrication of Small Caliber Stent-grafts Using Electrospinning and Balloon Expandable Bare Metal Stents
Published on: October 26, 2016
Development of self-expandable covered stents.
Sachiko Sato1, Yasuhide Nakayama, Yoshihiro Miura
1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan.
Summary
Newly developed self-expandable covered stents combine dip-coating and Nitinol technologies. These stents demonstrated mechanical integrity, drug-eluting capabilities, and promising in vivo results with minimal neointimal thickening.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Vascular Stent Technology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Development of advanced vascular stents is crucial for treating arterial diseases.
- Existing stent technologies face challenges with thrombogenicity and inflammation.
- Need for innovative stent designs offering improved mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel self-expandable covered stents by integrating existing and new proprietary technologies.
- To evaluate the mechanical properties, surface characteristics, and preliminary in vivo performance of these new stents.
- To assess the feasibility of differential drug coating for targeted therapeutic effects.
Main Methods:
- Combined a dip-coating covering method with self-expandable Nitinol (Sendai) stents.
- Utilized laser-processed microporous elastomeric cover film (15 µm thick) on stents (4.5, 5.0, 6.0 mm diameters).
- Differential drug coating: argatroban (inner surface) for antithrombogenicity, FK506 (outer surface) for anti-inflammation.
- Preliminary in vivo study involving stent implantation in arteries.
Main Results:
- The thin elastomeric cover film allowed expansion without damage, fully embedding stent struts.
- Stents retained excellent flexibility, mimicking arterial shapes.
- The luminal surface of the cover film was smooth and flat.
- Successful navigation and placement of covered stents in vivo.
- Permissible neointimal thickening observed after 1-month implantation, comparable to non-covered stents.
Conclusions:
- The newly developed self-expandable covered stents exhibit favorable mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
- The integrated technologies enable effective drug delivery for antithrombogenicity and anti-inflammation.
- Preliminary in vivo data suggest these stents are a promising option for vascular interventions.
