Kerala: Sree Chitra develops low cost stent graft

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Science and Technology (SCTIMST) has developed affordable aortic stent graft and its delivery system for the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm.
An aortic aneurysm is a ballooning or enlargement of the aorta. Aortic aneurysm is a disease affecting about 5% of the population in their late sixties and can be fatal in case of rupture.
Most patients with aortic aneurysms do not have any symptoms at all. The aneurysm is usually discovered by X-ray during a routine health exam for some other, unrelated condition.
“As there is no indigenous device available in the market for thoracic aortic aneurysm, the institute decided to develop an indigenous affordable stent graft and its delivery system. The imported stent graft (along with its delivery system) costs at least Rs 3.5 lakhs,” said Dr Asha Kishore, director of the institute.
The stent graft is made of polyester fabric in tubular form and are scaffolded by NiTi (Nickel Titanium alloy) rings (stents), which are sewed in to the tubular fabric. The NiTi rings were made in collaboration with National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore (CSIR-NAL).
The stent graft is crimped to a lower diameter and is inserted in to the catheter sheath (small diameter delivery tube) of the delivery system.
The stent graft has been developed by the project team headed by Dr Sujesh Sreedharan, Engineer-F, division of artificial internal organs, biomedical technology wing, Dr Jayadevan E R, additional professor, imaging sciences and interventional radiology, Dr Santhosh Kumar K, additional professor, imaging sciences and interventional radiology and Dr Unnikrishnan M, professor, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.
The stent graft expands and fixes firmly on the inner aortic wall because of the super elastic property exerted by the NiTi rings. Once the stent graft is in place, blood flow occurs only through the conduit created by the stent graft, thus excluding the aneurysm and preventing its rupture.