The Development of the Biochemical Stents - Essay Example

Biomedical Stent A stent is a special tubular mesh made of some special metal that is both biocompatible and biodegradable. Stents are inserted in blood vessels to enable the opening up of the vessels for the purposes of opening up blockages within the vessels (Koc and Tugrul 41). Besides opening up blockages, stents may also be used for scaffolding within the organs in order to secure the weak vessels against the danger of collapsing or closing up. The stent works in such a way that it pushes gently against the walls of the vessels in order to prevent the vessel from narrowing or malfunctioning in a manner that could adversely affect the internal processes of the body. The manufacturing of stents is usually conducted in a careful method that a features the use of highly complex and advanced processes in order to meet the requirements. Some of the common methods that are used in the manufacture of stents include the identification of the optimal materials to be used in the manufacture. The choice of material is of supreme value because it determines the effectiveness of the product. A poorly chosen optimal raw material would lead to cases of maladjustment with the results that the stent would be ill suited to perform the kind of task for which it was designed. Laser cutting techniques feature prominently in the manufacture of stents (Shrivastava 25). The use of laser is necessary for the purposes of ensuring precision. The laser cutting processes usually involves the application of complex geometries that are determined by the minute measurements applied within the process. Cardiovascular, peripheral, or neurovascular blood vessels are some of the vessels that often receive the support of stents for purposes of support and scaffolding. Stents also apply in providing solutions to some natural passages gastrointestinal and urinary tracts, which are often prone to diseases and conditions that affect the processes of natural flow within them (Shrivastava 28). Depending on the tasks for which they are created, stents may differ in make, size, and orientation. Stainless CoCr and Nitinol or a combination of the two is some of the materials that are often used in the manufacture of stents. The choice of material used in the manufacture of stents is usually determined by the nature and place of usage. Generally, coronary and peripheral stents are made of stainless while neurovascular, carotid, and biliary stents rely more on Nitinol material for their manufacture (Shrivastava 43). The major differences in these stents are defined in terms of diameter, thickness, and length. The manufacture of tents is done through adequate precision and care in order to align them to the specific tasks for which they are created. The necessity for precision and accuracy is often demanded in order to avoid all possible hazards that could be caused through mismatches in dimensions and applications. Surface and heat treatments are usually conducted in order to enhance the quality of the stents. In terms of raw materials, Stainless Steel, Cobalt Chromium, Nickel Titanium, and Titanium are some of the most commonly used materials in the manufacturing of stents (Gehar 12). Wire braiding and wire knitting are the two commonly used in the fabrication process. The process of laser cutting is used mostly in the determination of the kind of length, diameter, and other measurements such as the thickness of the walls. The process of heat treatment is necessary for releasing of the amounts of stress that are resident within the metals. This is usually applied for the balloon expandable stents. On the other hand, the elongation of the metal and the softening of the metal are necessary for the general process of achieving the most suitable substance for the process of achieving the most appropriate qualities and materials for the materials. Generally, the processes of annealing and shape setting are used in the preparation of cobalt chrome alloys. The same process is also applied to stainless steel alloys in ways that enable the development of substances that can withstand the internal pressures of the body processes. Annealing is generally applied for the balloon expandable metals while the process of shape-setting is applied to the self-expandable processes. In this regard, it becomes necessary to assess the strength of the product in light of the various processes that have applied on it in the general process of developing the most appropriate material that is appropriate for achieving suitability, applicability, and relevance. The manufacturing process involves the process of honing and micro blasting. Other surface treatment methods include electro polishing, ultrasonic cleaning, and passivation. One defining characteristic in all these processes is that they are meant to ensure high quality products, which are also biocompatible. Adequate procedures are undertaken with the overall objective of lessening the possibilities of defects or errors in the processes. In this regard, the determination of the quality of the stents is based on the methods and processes involved in their manufacturing. Such processes are designed with high standards and quality checks at the different stages of manufacturing in order to achieve some of the best qualities substances without the possibility corrosion in the general processes (Gehar 14). In this regard, the standardization of the manufacturing processes is supposed to enhance the quality of the stents within a universal perspective. Special computer soft wares with highly customized features that are designed to deliver quality and workability of the manufacturing processes aid the manufacturing processes. Usually, the development of the stents is made possible through the determination of the various processes and effects that attend to the quality of processes. The improvement of x-ray visibility has taken advantage of the imaging technology to enhance the visibility process of the systems. The development of thinner stent profiles is one of the advantages that have resulted from the use of imaging technology. As such, some of the issues that attend to the benefits of the imaging technology are the achievement of thinner delivery systems. These systems are also designed to offer high levels of efficiency and quality services. In essence, the reliance on modern technology in the regulation of the stent manufacturing process has led to rapid development of solutions to some of the complex challenges that attend to the process. Radiopaque markers are usually used in the manufacturing of stents for the purposes of enhancing visibility of the systems due to the fact that the internal processes are generally regarded as necessarily determined by the degree of visibility (Gehar 15). The quality of fluoroscopic visibility diminishes significantly in the smaller types of stents. This makes it necessary to include support mechanisms to counter the effects of the diminishing visibility. The visibility markers in these systems are usually derived from such metals as gold and Platinum-Iridium. These metals are known for special qualities that are utilized for the purposes of increasing visibility in the systems. The process of laser welding is also incorporated into the general manufacturing with the objective of harmonizing of dissimilar materials, which is generally involved in the introduction of galvanic corrosion. Corrosion of the metallic substances remains one of the most dominant risks and challenge associated with the use of stents in the various areas of their application. The final process in the manufacture of stents involves quality assurance processes in order to determine the nature, quality, workability, and effectiveness of the product. Generally, this process entails the use of various aspects of the production process that are tied together with the overall goal of improving the quality of the effects. On this score, it might be argued that the fundamental processes involved in the determination of efficiency are necessarily regulated through a range of processes, which are meant to ensure quality. The inspection process usually takes place in two main processes that involve visual processes that are then followed by dimension processes. Optical microscopes with significantly high resolutions are often used for determining the degree of quality of the systems. Coronary stents are best suited for treated heart-related problems (Rakhorst and Rutger 79). Precisely, the tents are meant to correct the problem of narrowing that occurs in the coronary arteries. The coronary artery narrowing usually affects the supply of oxygen to the heart muscles. As such, coronary stents are implanted through delicate PCI procedures whose nature of invasion is kept at the very minimum. Many stainless steel allows are used in the development of coronary stents particularly due to their capacity to withstand the kind of pressure that is found in the small vessels. In essence, the plastic properties are flexible enough in such a way that allows the stents to align themselves to the shape of the vessel. The flexibility allows them to be used in situations the require quick interventions of processes that require replacement of perforated arteries or others have been damaged through accidents or other kinds of stressors. Normally, stents used for correcting damaged and perforated arteries and vessels are made of pericardium tissue. This material is particularly relevant in the process of sealing damaged tissues in order to make it possible for blood to continue flowing in a normal way. The use of tents to correct these processes is usually encouraged in times of emergencies that result from accidents that involve deep cuts. The main objective is usually to enable the continuity of blood flow through the arteries. It is important to consider that the type of stents is particularly relevant in the process of deciding the most appropriate type of stent to be used in specific aspects of handling emergencies. Over the times, neurovascular stents have been crucial in managing stroke related complications (Rakhorst and Rutger 78). The narrowing of vessels that connect to the brain is mostly associated with ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. The narrowing processes are largely determined by a range of factors that include lifestyle diseases or aging. The process of managing these twin conditions involves the use of expandable stents within the narrowed vessels for the purposes of widening them. Such stents are usually regarded as most suited because of their flexible nature and the ability to function in nearly similar ways as the normal vessel. Besides, stents are used for developing coil embolization treats. The coil embolization treats are necessary in the treatment of intracranial aneurisms. The embolic coil id threaded to a weak area of the brain in order to assist in the development of the most formidable strategy that could be relied upon to correcting the weak defects in the brain vessels. With regard to neurovascular stents, the two main categories of balloon-expandable stents and self-expanding stents are the most commonly used in correcting vascular and arterial defects (Rakhorst and Rutger 77). Each of these categories has its own unique capabilities and suitability in terms of application and relevance. The danger often associated with balloon-expandable stents is that they have a higher capacity of stretching the arteries and vessels in ways that could result in further damage. It is for this reason that the self-expandable stents are often preferred in most delicate situations. The suitability of a type of stent is usually regarded in terms of its capacity to adjust to pressure in ways that are generally responsive to the specific aspects and values of usage. Carotid stents are usually made of Nitinol material. These types of stents belong to the self-expandable category and are usually fitted within the carotid artery in order to prevent the possible adverse effects of narrowing. The carotid artery is one of the most important arteries of the brain precisely because it serves the role of enabling the flow of blood into the brain. The insertion of the carotid stent is meant to improve the process of blood flow to the brains. This is because the stents prevents the artery from narrowing, closing or collapsing. In essence, carotid stents are used in situations when the arteries indicate symptoms of irregular blood flow which also affects the kind of pressure that that occurs due to the blood pressure within the brain vessels. Essentially, some of the processes involved in the determination of the choice of stents are determined by the degree of damage or emergency. Carotid stents are made with self-expandable characteristics, which makes is a deliberate design aimed towards protecting the arteries and vessels from the impact of pressure that could result from balloon expandable stents. Stents used in the arteries near the brain or those involving the flow of blood to the brain as made with Nitinol material, which is most appropriate for processes and procedures that require utmost precision and accuracy. The process of manufacturing stents is usually determined by the degree and manner of their usage. In this regard, some of the issues that determine the usage of stents are necessarily related to the development of adequate safeguards against possibilities of accidents during the processes. One common characteristic between peripheral stents and carotid stents is the use of self-expandable stents made from Nitinol material. The use of such kinds of stents is necessarily determined by the manner in which they limit injuries of control within the arteries or vessels because some stents have the potential of causing some aspects of wear and tear to the attached vessels. In essence, safety is one of the important factors that are used to determine the kind of material to be used in the development of stents. Another important factor is the place of application and the nature of injury, damage, or condition. Peripheral stents are usually inserted within the peripheral blood cells, which are normally found in limbs. They may also be applied in peripheral organs within internal organs. One distinguishing characteristic of peripheral stents is that they are usually coated with some kind of drug of a give membrane. Another kind of stents is the biliary stents. Normally, biliary stents are applied within the bile duct where they are used to treat obstructions. Biliary stents are some of the most complex among the stents because of the nature of their application (Rakhorst 73), Gerhard and Rutger. Biliary stents are designed to feature some significant levels of flexibility are determined by the several ducts that are found within the bile duct. In the usual cases, these ducts require flexible stents, which can apply within the complex structure of the bile. Biliary stents are designed in ways that allow them to maneuver within the loops that are found in the ducts. On this score, these stents are designed with utmost precision in order to minimize the degree of error. Apart from flexibility, an important manufacturing requirement for biliary stents is the radial pressure requirements. The radial pressure requirements are necessary since they determine the amount of pressure-related stress and resilience that the stents can handle within the general process of handling challenges related to blood flow through the affected arteries and vessels. Another condition usually determined in the manufacture of radial stents is the migration resistance. The stents must be made with sufficient strength that would should them from the pressures related with internal migration processes. Nitinol is the most commonly used material in the manufacture of stents (Rakhorst and Rutger 73). This is because Nitinol contains special qualities that are necessary within the processes of radial pressure requirements within the stents and migration resistance. Biliary stents are usually longer than other types of stents. An average biliary stent stretches to about 120 mm long (Rakhorst and Rutger 67). As such, there is usually the danger of the occurrence of ingrowth within the stents. There is also the danger of resistance to free passage. In order to eliminate these dangers a membrane is placed within the stents. This helps in the development of defenses that shield the stents from all forms of damage. The impact of the stents is to be considered within the capacity to enhance the internal processes of the bile in ways that lessen the impact of injury or malfunctioning. Generally, the development of the biochemical stents are generally determined by a procedural and systematic way that ensures quality and workability in ways attend to the overall objectives of the technology. Essentially, some of the methods and processes involved in the manufacture of stents are governed by international standards while others are determined by the preferences of the end-users. Available computer-aided technology have continued to engage in research that is meant to further increase the qualities of the stents for current and future generations. The bottom-line in the manufacturing of stents is usually determined by the levels of efficiency as compared to associated risks. Throughout the use of these systems, studies have found out that the usage of biomedical stents is associated with significantly lower levels of stress. Available statistics indicate lower levels of risk with the gradual development of technology. Works Cited Gehar, Kimberly. Nanophysics, Nanoclusters And Nanodevices. New York: Nova Publishers, 2006. Koc, Muammer and Tugrul Ozel. Micro-Manufacturing: Design and Manufacturing of Micro-Products. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 2011. Rakhorst, Gerhard and Rutger J. Ploeg. Biomaterials In Modern Medicine: The Groningen Perspective. New York: World Scientific, 2008. Shrivastava, Sanjay. Medical Device Materials. Proceedings from the Materials & Processes for Medical Devices Conference, 10 Sep 2003. Read More