Silicone-coatingof nitinol stent wires by electrospinning: Catheter deployment test

In this study, we investigated the effect of silicone-coating of individual wires on the deployment force of a non-vascular stent. As a new strategy, we utilized an electrospinning technique to selectively coat the wires of the stent, not including the spaces between the intersecting stent wires. We characterized the stent coating and wires with various characterization techniques. The tensile properties of the silicone film at different drying temperatures were measured and catheter deployment test was carried out. Fully silicone film-encapsulated Nitinolwires were obtained after drying at 150 and 200°C. The siliconecoated stent showed lower deployment force compared to the bare stent. This is attributed to the smoother surface provided by the silicone coating. Furthermore, the coating enhances the bending ability of the stent. The facile coating technique could provide improve catheter stent deployment as well as improve the biocompatibility of the stent.