Removable airway stent could revolutionize surgery
A knitted rag sock inspired this professor and MD to develop a stent that can be removed.
A stent is a cylindrical mesh tube that can be placed in arteries or in the lungs to open blockages or areas that are narrow or weak.
Traditional stents work well, but have the disadvantage that they must remain in the body. NTNU researchers are now testing a new kind of stent that can be used in the lungs. This new type of stent can be removed.
It can be made to order for individual patients and conditions, and thus can address most situations where a stent would be used in the airways. You can hear the researchers talk about the stent in the video above. Their research has been published in the European Respiratory Journal.
Here’s what the new knitted stent looks like. Illustration courtesy of the authors.
