This grant provides funding to design, fabricate and test a new class of polymer stents for treating cardio-vascular disease. We will investigate the texturing of these stents with arrays of nano-scale features using a novel nanomanufacturing process. The hypothesis is that nano-scale texturing, unlike texturing at micron sizes or larger scales, will prevent blood clots that would allow cardio-patients enjoy the important possibilities of extended life. In the proposed work, plasmons will be generated using a laser technique and utilized to produce nano-scale protrusions and nanoparticles on the polymeric stents with a focus on scalability issues such as size uniformity, throughput, cost and repeatability. The drug will be applied to the nanotextured stents and its effects on the drug storage, drug effectiveness and polymer degradation will be evaluated. A cardiologist in the advisory role will provide continuous input during the progress of the project so as to achieve an efficient and safe nanotextured drug eluting stent.
The results of this research will lead to the prevention of late stent blood clots. Thus, the project has potential to reduce the healthcare spending in the cardiovascular market. The proposed process could also be an enabling technology in other fields such as semiconductors, organic solar cells and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). The project will also offer new knowledge of laser-induced plasmonics for nano-scale processing that represents an important area in nanomanufacturing. The proposed work will impact education through an annual organization of the symposium "Nanomanufacturing Innovations in Medical Devices" with results disseminated through booth exhibits in local and national Medical Design and Manufacturing conferences and Iowa State Fair impacting a large number of visitors. In addition, the work will contribute to K-12 STEM education at Iowa State University by developing an inquiry module, "Learn Nanotechnology" for students in grades 9-12.
