DOI:

Biodegradable drug eluting stents: invasive and non-invasive imaging

Neville Kukreja, MA, MRCP; Masato Otsuka, MD; Carlos van Mieghem, MD; Jurgen Ligthart, BSc; Georgios Sianos, MD PhD; Patrick W. Serruys*, MD, PhD

A biodegradable everolimus-eluting stent, developed by Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions, Inc., an affiliate of Abbott Laboratories, located in Mountain View, CA, is currently undergoing clinical evaluation. The stent consists of a Polylactic acid (PLA) stent backbone processed for increased radial strength to provide stent integrity and a thin amorphous everolimus/PLA matrix coating (1:1 ratio of Everolimus/PLA matrix) for controlled drug release. Panel (a) shows the stent ex vivo: the stent is transparent apart from 2 radio-opaque markers at both proximal and distal edges. The appearances on optical coherence tomography (OCT) (Panel b) are quite unlike conventional stents; OCT can detect the interface between the stent and other tissues or fluid, but the inside of the strut consists of exactly the same material all the way through so it appears black, giving this a unique box appearance. The stent is radiolucent and invisible on fluoroscopy and multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT). Panels (c) and (d) demonstrate that the radiopaque markers (arrows) are clearly visible on MSCT, although due to a blooming effect the 2 markers appear as one continuous object. Calcification can be seen in the vessel proximal to the stent.

Volume 2 Number 3
Nov 20, 2006
Volume 2 Number 3
View full issue


Key metrics

Suggested by Cory

Editorial

10.4244/EIJ-E-25-00005 Mar 17, 2025
Unveiling the coronary acetylcholine test: can it help us predict future cardiovascular events?
Escaned J and Paolucci L
free

Flashlight

10.4244/EIJ-D-24-00248 Mar 17, 2025
Endovascular treatment of tandem lesions in a novel cadaveric stroke model
Grunwald I et al

Letter to the editor

10.4244/EIJ-D-24-00974 Mar 17, 2025
LETTER: An update on changes to the design of the ODIN trial
Sandner S et al
free
Trending articles
57.8

State-of-the-Art

10.4244/EIJ-D-24-00386 Feb 3, 2025
Mechanical circulatory support for complex, high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention
Ferro E et al
free
39.45

Clinical research

10.4244/EIJ-D-23-00725 Nov 19, 2023
A systematic algorithm for large-bore arterial access closure after TAVI: the TAVI-MultiCLOSE study
Rosseel L et al
free
39.45

Original Research

10.4244/EIJ-D-23-00725 Mar 18, 2024
A systematic algorithm for large-bore arterial access closure after TAVI: the TAVI-MultiCLOSE study
Rosseel L et al
free
36

State-of-the-Art

10.4244/EIJ-D-23-00448 Jan 15, 2024
Coronary spasm and vasomotor dysfunction as a cause of MINOCA
Yaker ZS et al
free
35.15

State-of-the-Art

10.4244/EIJ-D-23-00895 Apr 1, 2024
Percutaneous interventions for pulmonary embolism
Finocchiaro S et al
free
28.5

CLINICAL RESEARCH

10.4244/EIJV11I1A6 May 19, 2015
European expert consensus on rotational atherectomy
Barbato E et al
free
22.55

CLINICAL RESEARCH

10.4244/EIJV12I5A93 Aug 5, 2016
Longer pre-hospital delays and higher mortality in women with STEMI: the e-MUST Registry
Benamer H et al
free
X

The Official Journal of EuroPCR and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI)

EuroPCR EAPCI
PCR ESC
Impact factor: 7.6
2023 Journal Citation Reports®
Science Edition (Clarivate Analytics, 2024)
Online ISSN 1969-6213 - Print ISSN 1774-024X
© 2005-2025 Europa Group - All rights reserved