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Published on: March 5, 2020
The Systems Biocompatibility of Coronary Stenting
Kumaran Kolandaivelu1, Farhad Rikhtegar2
1Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
The coronary stent has propelled our understanding of the term "biocompatibility." Stents are expanded at sites of arterial blockage and mechanically reestablish blood flow. This simplicity belies the complex reactions that occur when a stent contacts living substrates. Biocompatible seek to elicit the intended response; stents should perform rather than merely exist. Because performance is assessed in the patient, stent biocompatibility is the multiscale examination of material and cell, and of material, structure, and device in the context of cell, tissue, and organism. This review tracks major biomaterial advances in coronary stent design and discusses biocompatibility clinical performance.
