In recent times, stents have revolutionised the treatment of coronary artery disease, which causes narrowing of the coronary arteries due to the formation of lipid-filled plaques. The stent is threaded into the coronary artery, where it is expanded, opening the artery, and providing a scaffold to support the lumen. The main disadvantage of the stent is the occurrence of restenosis in 20-30% of cases. In-stent restenosis is the growth of neointimal tissue inside the implanted stent, which causes re-narrowing of the lumen. Regular monitoring of in-stent restenosis is not standard practice, and it is diagnosed usually only when the patient presents with recurrent anginal symptoms.
The technology involves a stent that incorporates a sensor, which with further development, will be capable of continuously monitoring in-stent restenosis, and transmitting this data to a device outside the body. In a practical application, the stent is likely to be interrogated by a cardiologist at appropriate intervals during a clinical consultation. The key is adaption of the sensor for implantation in a stent. Currently our sensor systems have been developed to monitor pertinent parameters using an in vitro model of restenosis.
The worldwide coronary stent market was over US$5 billion in 2005 and was forecast to have reached US$6 billion in 2006. The opportunity for an intelligent stent with built in restinosis monitoring/reporting functionality is therefore considerable.
Contact is welcomed from organisations interested in developing, licensing or exploiting this technology. The University of Strathclyde is securing patent protection for the technology.
For further information, please contact Research & Knowledge Exchange Services: e: rkes@strath.ac.uk t: 0141 548 3707 f: 0141 552 4409