A new platinum alloy used in coronary stents has been hailed by the US Department of Energy (DoE).

It says the innovative platinum-chromium alloy, developed by the Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory and Boston Scientific Corporation, has increased the safety of the medical procedure by allowing more flexible and comfortable coronary stents.

A stent is a small, expandable mesh tube placed in a narrowed or weakened coronary artery, allowing the passageway to stay open.

The platinum-chromium alloy "solves many of the past problems surrounding traditional stents", the DoE said.

It explains that the addition of platinum provides physical properties that allow a stent to be both thin and visible on x-ray, which was a problem with stainless steel versions.

The flexibility offered by the alloy provides "easier movement through arterial bends without causing damage", the DoE continues.

Higher corrosion resistance is achieved by the addition of high-melting platinum. This improves the stent's long-term stability within the body.

The alloy's increased strength also decreases recoil, which reduces the likelihood of constriction after it has been implanted.

After ten years of research on the alloy, Boston Scientific's PROMUS ELEMENT and ION stents were put on sale in January 2010.

The work was recognised by R&D Magazine, which named the platinum-chromium alloy one of the 100 most technologically significant products to enter the marketplace in the past year.

Source:

Coronary Stents Improved by Novel Alloy (02/08/11) 

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