Improved long-term biocompatibility of coronary stents by plasma coating process

描述（由申请人提供）：通过等离子体涂层工艺改善冠状动脉支架的长期生物相容性摘要药物洗脱支架（DES）由于其比裸金属支架（BMS）更好的控制再狭窄的能力而被广泛用于治疗心脏病患者。然而，已经报告了DES治疗患者中晚期支架血栓形成的严重不良结局，即使发生率较低，也会导致致命性心脏病发作和死亡。因此，为了安全和有效的临床应用，冠状动脉支架需要在其表面上具有更好的生物相容性，除了抑制细胞增殖之外，还将提供足够的抗血栓性，从而减缓支架周围组织的愈合。Nanova公司正在开发一种新型的高抗血栓性涂层，用于制造冠状动脉支架的金属生物材料表面。一种环境友好的技术，低温等离子体工艺用于存款超薄（纳米级）但连续的涂层，其足以产生所需的耐磨性并覆盖在随后的等离子体表面处理中产生的生物活性官能团以防止血栓和再狭窄，但足够薄以允许支架在输送到患者体内时膨胀而不破裂。在这个创新的研究项目中获得的知识也将有利于研究和开发其他植入式医疗设备，如心脏起搏器，脉冲发生器，心脏起搏器和生物传感器的生物相容性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Improved long-term biocompatibility of coronary stents by plasma coating process Abstract Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been widely used to treat patients of cardiac disease due to their better ability to control restenosis than bare metal stents (BMS). However, a serious adverse outcome of late stent thrombosis in patients treated with DES has been reported, which leads to fatal heart attack and death even though it occurs at low rate. Thus, for safe and effective clinical use, a coronary stent needs to have better biocompatibility on its surface that will provide sufficient thrombo-resistance in addition to inhibiting cell proliferation thereby slowing down healing of tissues around the stent. Nanova, Inc. is developing a novel coating layer of high thrombo-resistance on the surface of metallic biomaterials of which coronary stents are made. An environmentally benign technology, low temperature plasma process is used to deposit an ultra-thin (nano-scale) but continuous layer of coating, sufficient to generate desired abrasion resistance and immobilize the bioactive functional groups created in the subsequent plasma surface treatment to prevent blood clots and restenosis, but thin enough to allow for stent expansion without cracking when delivered into patients. The knowledge gained in this innovative research project will also benefit research and development for improved biocompatibility in other implantable medical devices such as pacemakers, pulse generators, cardiac defibrillators and bio-sensors.