Camstent Angioplasty

Polymer Coatings for Biofilm Resistance

Balloon Angioplasty

Current treatment for coronary artery disease is a surgical intervention called balloon angioplasty. A cardiologist threads a wire into the blocked coronary artery (see Fig. 1), inflates a tiny balloon at the site of blockage (see Fig. 2) and then a small wire-mesh tube called a stent (see Fig. 3) is inserted and left in place to keep the artery walls open.

Fig. 1: blocked coronary artery

Fig. 2: balloon inflated and then stent inserted

Fig. 3: close-up of stent