TEXTILES.ORG
TissueGen® Inc., a company that develops biodegradable polymer technology for implantable drug delivery, has been issued a patent for a self-expanding medical device capable of drug elusion within the body. This new product meets the market’s need for devices that are self-expanding and can stay in place when implanted in tubular organs of the human body. Such medical devices may act as vascular stents, or can hold or anchor other devices, such as filters or in-dwelling catheters.
TissueGen’s latest patent applies to the invention of a helical coil comprising multiple reversing sense helical coil units that are capable of drug elution and provide all the benefits of a small, closed-cell stent design, while maintaining high flexibility, high radial force and crush resistance. The resulting device is well suited for the peripheral vascular system, but can benefit most applications where a device is required to maintain position within any tubular anatomical structure.
Definitive testing supports the strength of the company’s helical coil-containing device compared to other stents, even bare metal stents. This self-expanding device corrects the issues of previous generations of coil-based stents, which have typically had limited clinical success.
“Helical coil stents have long been a good idea in theory but were prone to migrating in the artery and causing complications; in some scenarios the end-user patient could even end up with a narrower artery than they started with,” said Dr. Kevin Nelson, CSO, TissueGen. The device’s unique design allows it to be self-anchoring and prevents tissue prolapse. It also reduces the time required by the surgeon to implant it.
The latest patent is one of many intellectual property assets that the company currently holds.