New Electronic Heart Stent Dissolves after Use

Every year, approximately half a million Americans with coronary arteries blocked by plaque are treated by the insertion of a stent. Unfortunately, these mesh tubes occasionally get clogged, leading to complications. A new technological advancement aims to eliminate this problem.

A recent press release by the ASC News Service Weekly PressPac revealed that researchers from the United States, Korea, and China published a paper on a new technologically-savvy electronic stent. This scholarly article was published in ASC Nano, and is entitled Bioresorbable Electronic Stent Integrated with Therapeutic Nanoparticles for Endovascular Diseases.         

The paper shows how this new stent can monitor blood flow and temperature and can then store and transmit this information for analysis. Once it has completed its job, the stent dissolves and is absorbed by the body. This minimizes the risk that a blood clot will eventually form at the site of implantation. The researchers have also been testing an electronic stent that can release medications when needed.

You can read more about it at Science Daily.