Maglev-fabricated long and biodegradable stent for interventional treatment of peripheral vessels
Wan-Qian Zhang, Xianhua Gao, Hongjie Zhang, Guoyi Sun, Gui Zhang, Xin Li, Haiping Qi, Jingzhen Guo, Qin Li, Daokun Shi, Xiaoli Shi, Haifeng Li, Deyuan Zhang, Wei Guo, Jiandong Ding
Abstract
While chronic limb-threatening ischemia is a serious peripheral artery disease, the lack of an appropriate stent significantly limits the potential of interventional treatment. In spite of much progress in coronary stents, little is towards peripheral stents, which are expected to be both long and biodegradable and thus require a breakthrough in core techniques. Herein, we develop a long and biodegradable stent with a length of up to 118 mm based on a metal-polymer composite material. To achieve a well-prepared homogeneous coating on a long stent during ultrasonic spraying, a magnetic levitation is employed. In vivo degradation of the stent is investigated in rabbit abdominal aorta/iliac arteries, and its preclinical safety is evaluated in canine infrapopliteal arteries. First-in-man implantation of the stent is carried out in the below-the-knee artery. The 13 months’ follow-ups demonstrate the feasibility of the long and biodegradable stent in clinical applications. The interventional treatment of limb-threatening ischemia calls for a medical stent. Herein, a long and biodegradable stent appropriate for below-the-knee artery is developed based on a metal-polymer composite material, where a magnetic levitation is employed to achieve a homogeneous coating.