Can the current stent manufacturing process be used for making metallic biodegradable stents

Abstract

Stents have been routinely used for the treatment of coronary artery occlusion since the last two decades. They are made of corrosion resistant alloys such as stainless steel 316L, titanium and cobalt-chromium alloys; in addition, their manufacturing process is well developed. Currently, corrodible metals have been proposed for making stents that can degrade after serving its function (biodegradable stents). This article discusses applicability of the current laser-cutting-based stent manufacturing process for making biodegradable stents: from materials production to stent fabrication until implantation. It covers some practical and technical points extracted from literatures and authors experiences with clinicians and industrialists to be considered in developing metallic biodegradable stents.