Electrospinning is a method used for polymer-based nano-fiber production. This technique recruits an electric force to draw charged threads of the polymer into fibers. Electrospinning technology is used, in the medical device industry, to form stent scaffolds or coating, .i.e., when the polymeric fibers are woven around a stent, thereby creating a porous polymeric coating
Electrospinning technology is used by Medibrane’s experts to create a porous coating, using a wide range of polymers, that can be formed into numerous shapes. The greatest advantage of this method lies in its ability to use solvent based polymers, usually used to create impermeable, non-porous coating, and create fibers, thus can form a porous coating.
Porous coatings are required for many medical applications, such as structural heart devices, for example; Heart Valves, Septal Occluders, and Mitral Valve Clips, and peripheral stent applications, for example; Gastrointestinal Tract Stents. The porous structure is usually needed for tissue in-growth and prevention of stent migration. These applications can also be covered by fabric or ePTFE, also porous covers.
The disadvantages of the current fabric or ePTFE covering solutions are mainly due to the relatively high coating thickness, that is usually produced by double lamination covering (sandwich). Also, the fabric lamination technique is only suitable for a few applications and geometries, and in other geometries, reduces lumen size substantially, as well as could increase the crimping profile.
Process Description:
After applying our unique surface treatment onto the stent, to obtain good adhesion, we start coating the stent using Electrospinning technology. The electrospinning method turns the selected polymer into fibers, that engulf the stent while spinning, and covers the requested regions, according to the product’s specification. The fiber structure forms a porous coating, and the pore size can be controlled during the process.
Specification:
- Fiber diameter range: 50- 500 [nm]
- Porosity: 40%-60%
Porous Coating Enables:
- Tissue regrowth
- Cell adhesion
- Proliferation
- Non- migration
Electrospinning Technology Advantages:
- Enabling high tissue regrowth
- Fibers can be spun onto any shape
- Suitable for a wide range of polymers
Electrospinning Is Suitable When Covering:
- Structural heart Device
- Peripheral angioplasty applications
