Intelligent Integrated Stent

近年来，“智能”支架已成为世界范围内的一个重要研究领域。尽管世界范围内接受支架治疗血管阻塞，但阻塞复发是一个常见的问题。它是由支架内再狭窄引起的，其发展并导致植入支架附近的动脉继发性阻塞。需要用x射线系统持续监测动脉，以预测和预防再狭窄。如果不加以控制，那么可能会发生突然的二次堵塞和生命危险。解决这个问题的策略有很多，比如使用金属合金和可生物降解聚合物等新型材料作为设备的主体或涂层，这些材料可以将被动传感组件直接集成到设备上，以无线监测冠状动脉内的血压。然而，目前应用于所有这些3D设备的技术不允许任何高集成度电子器件的单片制造。它们包括相对简单的电子解决方案，只有无源电子元件，几乎没有能力包括“更智能”的有源电子元件。在这个提议中，我们将超越最先进的技术，采用一种新的方法，以单片平行平面制造方式制造具有集成磁性和电子功能的支架。“智能”支架将集成许多薄膜传感器元件、无源元件和有源元件。这种支架将依靠可塑形材料技术将最初的平面结构转变为3D“瑞士卷”结构，可以根据需要调整其形状，这是电子产品的一个独特特征，在构建可植入设备方面非常有用。我们将在制造和最终模型应用场景中探索这一特性，在植入过程中心血管支架可以组装和部署，并在类似于真实心血管系统的动态环境中继续运行。在我们的工作中，我们将解决几个关键点，这是通过微加工和随后的3D自组装制造支架体；探索在手术环境中部署此类支架的三种方法；集成被动和主动电子功能，用于连续、实时监测血液脉动、流量和压力；以及模型幻影中支架和支架材料的评估。这项工作将基于德累斯顿莱布尼茨IFW在材料合成、表征和加工方面的长期专业知识，以及开姆尼茨工业大学在3D管状结构中的微图像化和微电子集成方面的专业知识。该项目将得到墨卡托研究员CheolGi Kim教授的支持，他是生物和磁传感器方面的专家，在大邱庆北科学技术研究所、岭南医科大学和韩国尚志大学拥有广泛的合作网络。

“Smart” stents have become an important field of research worldwide in recent years. Despite the worldwide acceptance of stents in treating vascular blockages, blockage recurrence is a common problem. It is caused by in-stent restenosis which develops and leads to a secondary blockage of the artery near the implanted stent. The artery needs to be continuously monitored with X-Ray systems to predict and prevent restenosis. If it is left unchecked, then a sudden secondary blockage and life risk could occur. There are a variety of strategies focusing on resolving this issue such as using novel materials like metal alloys and biodegradable polymers either as the body of the device or as a coating, which may integrate passive sensory components directly onto the device to wirelessly monitor blood pressure inside a coronary artery. However, current technologies applied to all these 3D devices do not allow for monolithic fabrication of any high integration level electronics. They include are relatively simple electronic solutions with only passive electrical components that show little to no capability of including “smarter” active electronics. In this proposal we are going to go beyond state-of-the-art, with a new approach to manufacture stents with integrated magnetic and electronic functionalities in a monolithic parallel planar fabrication manner. “Smart” stents will integrate numerous thin-film sensor elements, passive and active components. Such stents will rely on shapeable materials technologies to transform initially planar structures into 3D “Swiss-roll” architecture that can adapt their shape on demand, which is a unique feature for electronics in general and very useful in constructing implantable devices. We will explore this feature in manufacturing and in final model application scenarios, where cardiovascular stents can be assembled and deployed during implantation and continue operation in a dynamic environment similar to a real ardiovascular system. In our work we will address several key points, which are the fabrication of the stent body via microfabrication and subsequent 3D self-assembly; exploring three methods to deploy such stents in the operating environment; integration of passive and active electronic functionalities for continuous, real-time monitoring of blood pulsation, flow, and pressure; and evaluation of stent and stent materials in a model phantom. This work will be based on a long-term expertise in material synthesis, characterization and processing available at the Leibniz IFW Dresden, and expertise in micropatterning and microelectronic integration within 3D tubular rchitectures available at TU Chemnitz. This project will benefit from the support provided by the Mercator fellow Prof. Dr. CheolGi Kim, who is an expert in bio- and magnetic sensors with a broad network of collaborations at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Medical University Youngnam and Sangji University of Korea.