The PolyCraft Polymer–Metal Hybrid Smart Stent System: The Future of Cardiovascular Blood Pressure Management

Abstract

To address the complication of in‐stent restenosis that occurs with traditional stent treatments, this study proposes an innovative hybrid smart stent‐based medical system. This approach allows to overcome the limitations of existing bare metal or polymer‐based smart stents, which interfere with radio frequency signals, less deformability, or do not provide adequate radial support, respectively. The proposed hybrid stent, which uses a Co/Cr–polycaprolactone (PCL)–Co/Cr configuration connected by a unique dual inverted Y‐type connector for metal–polymer integration is integrated with a LC wireless pressure sensor fabricated through a semiconductor process. The fabricated hybrid stent made by laser machining and custom‐made 3D printing, offers excellent properties such as radial strength (0.125 N/mm) and flexibility (2 N mm2) and provides intravascular information to the outside through the integrated sensor without signal degradation. After basic experiments using a phantom, animal experiments are conducted by combining the fabricated sensor with artificial blood vessel, and the results measured by the external antenna system are consistent with the results of a commercial reference sensor. The proposed wireless sensor‐based smart stents and artificial blood vessels aim to gather diverse patient health data for integration with artificial intelligence, laying the groundwork for next‐generation medical innovation.