Nov 23, 2009

Stent Testing Presentation

 

The scale of many medical devices, particularly those that are implanted into the body is such that the laser is a tool that is ideally exploited in their manufacture. In particular the ability of the laser to perform precision fine cutting is well known.

There is perhaps no better example of this than in the manufacture of stents, where intricate patterns have to be cut from fine tube leaving behind a fine wire like structure.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the major cause of illness, disability and death worldwide. One in every four men and one in every six women die from the disease in the UK alone. Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting provides a lower pain, less risk, quicker recovery and lower cost treatment than open heart surgery. This has generated a large demand for stents, and a sizeable manufacturing sector has been built in the last decade.

While laser cutting is a key operation in their manufacture, it is not the only process. This is true of many medical devices, so this workshop looks at some of the major key processes in the stent supply chain. And these processes are often required for the manufacture of many other medical devices, indeed many other products.

This workshop offers the opportunity for "supply chain" networking in the design and manufacture of stents and indeed all medical devices. It also addresses key technical issues in micron-scale laser processing and in the manufacture and qualification of medical products.
This supply chain begins with the clinicians needs, and we are pleased to have a presentation outlining the clinical basis of stents. It ends with the supply of product to the healthcare providers, and we will have an insight into how innovation is promoted within the UK's National Health Service (NHS), and even a little indication of how to become an NHS supplier.