Biomedical engineering in designing and application of nitinol stents with the shape memory effect

摘要

Our studies in the field of endosurgery in collaboration with the physicians of the National Research Centre of Surgery of the Academy of Medical Sciences are carried out beginning in 1983. These studies laid the foundation for the new direction of X-ray surgery - X-ray Nitinol stenting of vessels and tubular structures.rnX-ray nitinol stents are unique self-fixing shells based on the shape memory effect and superelasticity of nickel-titanium alloys self-reconstructed under human body temperature. Ap[plied for stenting of arteries in cases of stenosis etc., bile ducts in cases of benign and malignant stenoses, digestive tract in cases of oesophsgeal cancer and cervical canal uterus in cases of postsurgical atresiss and strictures of uterine. The purpose of stenting is restoration of the shape of artery or tubular structure by a cylinder frame formation.rnThe especially elaborated original method of srenting allows to avoid the traditional surgical operation, i.e. the stenting is performed without blood, narcosis and surgical knife. The stent to be implanted is transporyed into the affected zone through the puncture under the X-ray control.rnClinical applications of X-ray endovascular stenting has been started in March 1984. During this period nearly 400 operations on stenting have been performed on femoral, iliac, brachio-cephalic, subclavian arteries, bile ducts, traheas, digestive tract and cervical canal uterus.