With over 40 years in the medical device market, AMETEK EMC with its specialist brand Laserage, is a market leader in stent manufacturing. Its broad-based experience in laser processing serves medical OEMs worldwide.
What is a Stent?
Typically made of metal or polymer, a stent is a small, expandable tube used to support or open narrowed or blocked arteries or ducts within the body. Stents are commonly used in medical procedures to improve blood flow or the flow of other bodily fluids.
The primary function of a medical stent is to act as a scaffold structure, keeping a vessel or duct open and preventing it from collapsing or becoming obstructed again after medical intervention.
Purpose of Different Types of Medical Stents
Each type of medical stent is designed to meet specific medical needs and conditions:
1) Coronary Stents:
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): In cases of coronary artery disease, coronary stents are used to treat narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, restoring blood flow to the heart muscle and relieving symptoms such as chest pain (angina) or preventing heart attacks. There are two type of heart stents:
- Bare Metal Stents (BMS): These cardiac stents are made of metal, usually stainless steel, and provide structural support to keep coronary arteries open after angioplasty. They are effective in reducing restenosis rates compared to angioplasty alone but do not have drug-eluting properties.
- Drug-Eluting Stents (DES): These cardiac stents are coated with medications such as antiproliferative drugs that help prevent the re-narrowing of coronary arteries after angioplasty. DES have significantly reduced the rate of restenosis compared to BMS.
- Bioabsorbable Stents: A type of medical device used in interventional cardiology to treat narrowed or blocked arteries. Unlike traditional metallic stents, which remain in the body permanently. Bioabsorbable stents are made from biocompatible materials that break down naturally in the body. As it dissolves, the artery is allowed to regain its natural function and flexibility. Eventually, the stent is completely absorbed, leaving behind a healed artery with no permanent implant.
2) Peripheral Artery Stents:
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD): Stents can be deployed in peripheral arteries (arteries outside the heart) to treat narrowed or blocked blood vessels in the legs, arms, or other areas. This improves circulation and relieves symptoms such as leg pain or cramping.
- Self-Expanding Stents: These vascular stents are designed to expand and adapt to the size and shape of peripheral arteries, providing support and improving blood flow in arteries outside the heart, such as those in the legs or arms.
- Balloon-Expandable Stents: Similar to coronary stents, these stents are expanded using a balloon catheter and provide support in peripheral arteries.
3) Biliary Stents and Ureteral Stents:
Biliary or Ureteral Obstructions: Biliary stents are used to open blocked bile ducts or ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder) caused by conditions such as gallstones or kidney stones, facilitating the drainage of bile or urine.
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Metal Biliary Stents: Used to relieve obstructions in the bile ducts caused by conditions such as gallstones or tumors. They are often made of materials like stainless steel or nitinol and can be either covered or uncovered.
- Plastic Biliary Stents: These stents, typically made of medical-grade plastic, are used for temporary relief of biliary obstructions. They are often replaced with metal stents for longer-term management.
- Double-J Stents: These ureteral stents are commonly used to treat ureteral obstructions caused by conditions such as kidney stones or strictures. Their double-looped design helps keep the stent in place while allowing urine to flow freely.
- Open-Ended Stents: Similar to double-J stents but with an open-ended design, these ureteral stents are used in specific cases where drainage is needed from the kidney to the bladder.
4) Esophageal Stents:
Esophageal Stenting: Stents are used to relieve obstructions in the esophagus caused by conditions such as esophageal cancer, strictures, or compression by external structures. Esophageal stenting improves swallowing function and reduces the risk of complications such as aspiration pneumonia.
- Self-Expanding Metal Stents (SEMS): These esophageal stents are used to relieve obstructions in the esophagus caused by conditions such as esophageal cancer or strictures. They are typically made of nitinol and can be inserted using endoscopic techniques.
5) Airway Stents: Stents are used to treat obstructions in the airways caused by conditions such as tracheal or bronchial tumors, inflammation, or external compression. Airway stenting improves airflow, relieves respiratory symptoms, and helps maintain the airway's potency.
Variety of stents sizes and materials
Insights into the Stent Market
The stent market achieved a revenue of USD 9.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.7% to reach USD 14 billion by 2032. This growth trajectory is attributed to several factors, including the escalating uptake of minimally invasive procedures, heightened prevalence of cardiovascular surgeries, and the prevalence of a fast-paced lifestyle, compounded by a growing elderly demographic, all of which are anticipated to propel market expansion.
Common Materials used in Stent Manufacturing
Stents can be either bare metal or coated with medications, as so-called drug-eluting stents that help prevent the recurrence of blockages.
1) Metals:
- Stainless Steel: Known for its strength, corrosion resistance, and radiopacity (ability to be seen on X-rays), stainless steel is commonly used in bare metal stents (BMS).
- Cobalt-Chromium Alloys: These alloys offer high strength, excellent radiopacity, and good biocompatibility, making them suitable for both bare metal and drug-eluting stents (DES).
- Nitinol (Nickel-Titanium Alloy): Nitinol stents are prized for their shape memory and super elasticity properties, which allow for self-expanding stents that can be compressed for insertion and then expanded to their original shape when deployed.
Polymers:
- Biodegradable Polymers: Biodegradable polymers are used in bioabsorbable stents, where the stent gradually degrades over time, leaving behind natural tissue. Common biodegradable polymers include poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA).
- Non-biodegradable Polymers: Non-biodegradable polymers, such as polyurethane and polyethylene, are often used as coatings in drug-eluting stents (DES) to control the release of medication.
Bioabsorbable stents
Coatings:
- Drug Coatings: Drug coatings are applied to stents to prevent restenosis (re-narrowing of the artery) by inhibiting the growth of smooth muscle cells. Common drugs used in coatings include sirolimus, paclitaxel, and everolimus.
- Biocompatible Coatings: Biocompatible coatings improve the biocompatibility of the stent surface and reduce the risk of adverse reactions. Common materials used for biocompatible coatings include hydrophilic polymers like polyethylene glycol (PEG).
The Stent Manufacturing Capabilities at AMTEK EMC
We use the highest-grade stent materials and cutting, finishing and inspection techniques to provide customers with a solution to even the most challenging medical application.
Laser Cutting:
- High-Precision Laser Cutting: AMETEK EMC employs state-of-the-art laser cutting machines equipped with high-power lasers and advanced optics to cut intricate stent patterns from metal tubes or sheets in high precision.
- Innovative Optics Integration: Integrating cutting-edge optics into laser systems ensure optimal beam delivery and focus, enabling intricate and precise cutting of stent structures.
- Customized Laser Parameters: AMETEK EMC utilizes CNC programs tailored to each stent design, specifying laser parameters such as power, speed, and focal length to achieve desired cutting results.
Custom stent design in multiple sizes tubes
Optics and Vision Systems at AMETEK EMC:
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Advanced Optical Inspection: Vision systems with high-resolution cameras and sophisticated image processing algorithms for real-time inspection of stent components. These systems enable precise quality control and defect detection during manufacturing.
- Optical Metrology Solutions: Optical metrology techniques for accurate dimensional measurements of stent features, ensuring adherence to tight tolerances and design specifications.
Positioning Systems by AMETEK EMC:
- Precision Positioning Technology: Precision positioning systems, including motorized stages and multi-axis motion control, to accurately position stent components during laser cutting and assembly processes. These systems ensure precise alignment and consistent fabrication of stents.
- Integration with Laser Systems: Positioning systems seamlessly integrated with laser cutting machines, enabling synchronized motion control and optimal laser beam delivery for precise cutting of stent structures.
CNC Programs and CAD/CAM Integration at AMETEK:
- Customized CNC Programming: Customized CNC programs use advanced CAM software tailored to specific stent designs and manufacturing requirements. These programs control the motion of CNC machines during laser cutting, ensuring accurate and efficient fabrication of stent components.
- CAD/CAM Integration: CAD/CAM integration to seamlessly transfer design data from CAD software to CAM software, streamlining the translation of stent designs into CNC programs. This integration facilitates rapid prototyping and efficient production of high-quality stents.
Through the integration of lasers, optics, positioning systems, and CNC programs, AMETEK Engineered Medical Components achieves unprecedented levels of accuracy, efficiency, and quality in stent manufacturing. AMETEK EMC's team of skilled engineers are experts in product design, development, and engineering, consistently surpassing client expectations in a variety of medical sectors such as Structural Heart Devices, Vascular and Endocrine. This adept application of cutting-edge technologies allows us to lead innovative approaches in stent production, setting new standards for dependability and performance in the medical field.