Latest advancements in ureteral stent technology

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Biomaterials Science
• Medical Device Engineering

Background:

• Urological diseases pose significant health risks.
• Ureteral stents are crucial for restoring urological function but face challenges like encrustation and biofilm formation.
• These complications can lead to urinary tract infections and treatment failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent technological advancements in ureteral stent design, materials, coatings, and testing methods.
• To highlight innovations addressing stent failure mechanisms.
• To explore the potential of biodegradable ureteral stents (BUS).

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific journals and patents.
• Searches conducted on Web of Science and Google Scholar using keywords such as "Ureteral Stent Design" and "Ureteral Stent Material Coating".
• Analysis of technological developments in stent design, materials, coatings, and pre-clinical testing.

Main Results:

• Innovations in stent design aim to prevent migration and urinary reflux.
• Novel materials and coatings (e.g., PDMMA, PEGDA) are being developed to inhibit biofilm formation.
• Biodegradable ureteral stents (BUS) represent a new generation of devices addressing the "forgotten stent syndrome" and reducing costs.
• Development of experimental and computational pre-clinical test methods for screening new stent technologies.

Conclusions:

• Technological progress is enhancing ureteral stent performance and patient safety.
• New materials, designs, and biodegradable options are poised to overcome current limitations.
• Advanced pre-clinical testing will accelerate the development of next-generation ureteral stents.