Femtosecond Laser Nano Texturing of Drug-Eluting Stents
Abstract
Stents have been used for over a decade to treat coronary arteries affected by
stenosis, a state in which the arteries are narrowed by the deposition of plaque.
However, studies have shown that a few years after placement of a stent, restenosis
can occur at the site, hindering its purpose. Drug-eluting stents (DES) have a
significant impact in treating in-stent restenosis. DES are embedded with drugs like
Sirolimus that are released over time once the stent is placed within the artery,
reducing the chance of plaque deposition around the stent. But DES increases the risk
of thrombosis, formation of blood clots around the stent due to a change in the blood
flow profile. To improve the DES characteristics, femtosecond pulsed lasers are used
to create nano-textures on the metallic stents. Nano-textures increase the availability
of the drug, increase adhesion of the drug and the stent, and minimize requirement of
a polymer carrier. If the nano-textured materials can show effective fluid retention
characteristics, this can be a cost-effective solution to reduce or completely eliminate
in-stent restenosis and thrombosis without the need of post-finishing operations. The
interaction of bio-elements with the metallic stents can also be tested to ensure the
efficiency of the DES.
Description
Poster project completed at Wichita State University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Presented at the 14th Annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit, Topeka, KS, March 03, 2017.