Manufacturing of cardiovascular stents

Cardiovascular stent is a major innovative medical device to treat cardiovascular disease globally. Material scientists, doctors, and engineers have worked together to improve the physical performance of cardiovascular stents for a better treatment of cardiovascular disease over the past three decades. The aim of this chapter is to introduce: (1) the evolution of cardiovascular stents from simple bare metal cage structures, through drug-eluting stents to novel biodegradable stents; (2) the main categories of metallic stents based on material properties; (3) the common considerations in design, manufacturing and evaluation of metallic cardiovascular stents; (4) the properties of currently used cardiovascular stent materials.