A Uni-Directional Biodegradable Stent for Systematic Modulation in Biliary Diseases

Currently, metal stents carry the risk of secondary removal and limitation to adjust to various symptoms. There is a need for a controllable, degradable, and adjustable stent to provide precise treatment in clinical practice. This study introduces a high-performance biodegradable stent based on a uni-material and uni-process strategy to systematically address the demands of multiple biliary diseases. Taking high modulus and high orientation poly-L-lactic Acid (PLLA) monofilament as the basis of the research, the degradation behavior of Uni-directional Stent is univariantly adjusted and precisely regulated by electron beam sterilization (EBS) technology. In vitro experiments showed that PLLA stents subjected to different doses of EBS can be tailored to meet the specific degradation cycles requirement for various biliary diseases by regulating molecular weight. Furthermore, a controlled relationship between the degradation behaviors of the materials in in vitro bile and Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) environments is also established, aiming to providing essential data and a theoretical foundation for streamlining future experiments.