Last year in the United States alone, nearly 2 million stents were implanted in heart patients to help improve overall health as well as save patient lives. With so much riding on the effectiveness of these life-saving devices, stents demand the highest precision and quality control during manufacturing. To meet the medical industry’s stringent requirements, stent manufacturers have turned to fiber lasers as the primary choice for precision cutting stents. Selecting the right laser is critical to ensuring the highest quality stent cut, we would like to share the following background on how to choose the right laser for your stent cutting projects.
Advances in Stent Manufacturing
Coronary stents were granted FDA approval in 1987 and since then have come a long way. In the 1990s, stainless steel was the material of choice to create bare metal stents (BMS). Drug-eluting Stents (DES) were later introduced to combat potential side effects of early metallic stents. DES were coated with medication to prevent restenosis, a common side effect of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).
Today, the majority of metal stents are made with cobalt-chromium because this alloy maintains its strength with a thinner strut. Polymer stents are also increasing in popularity because of their biocompatibility.
Why are Fiber Lasers so Much More Effective in Stent Cutting?
High throughput, precision, wall-plug efficiency and repeatable results make fiber lasers the economical choice for stent cutting. Fiber lasers have a wider kerf, ideal for cutting spiral-patterned stents that require a kerf that is greater than 0.001” so the stent can flex correctly. Fiber lasers can also cut thicker walls with little taper.
Polymer and metal stents can be cut with hybrid femtosecond lasers. An ultrafast laser has extremely short pulse widths, which prevent heat damage when cutting stents. This in turn makes post-processing simple, using an ultrasonic bath and water instead of chemicals. Thin tubes with an outer diameter of 0.012” can be cut with a femtosecond laser without damaging the backside of the tube. Using an ultrafast laser provides users with unbeatable precision, offering a kerf of less than 0.0005”, which is ideal for sharp corners. While femtosecond lasers come at a higher cost, users may enjoy savings because ultrafast lasers require less argon gas.
Stent Cutting Precision with Versa Small Tube Cutter
For the better part of the past decade, the Versa Small Tube Cutter has earned the trust of stent manufactures across the globe. This fully-automated laser stent cutting machine provides the stability essential for high-precision stent cutting. Depending on your requirements, the Versa can be equipped with an IR, green, UV, picosecond or femtosecond
