Biodegradable Stents with Elastic Memory

This work reports, for the first time, the development of a fully biodegradable polymeric stent that can self-expand at body temperatures (approximately 37 degrees C), using the concept of elastic memory. This self-expansion is necessary in fully polymeric stents, to overcome the problem of elastic recoil following balloon expansion in a body vessel. Bi-layered biodegradable stent prototypes were produced from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly glycolic acid (PLGA) polymers. Elastic memory was imparted to the stents by temperature conditioning. The thickness and composition of each layer in the stents are critical parameters that affect the rate of self-expansion at 37 degrees C, as well as the collapse strengths of the stents. The rate of self-expansion of the stents, as measured at 37 degrees C, exhibits a maximum with layer thickness. The Tg of the outer layer is another significant parameter that affects the overall rate of expansion.