Research and development of the technology of laser cutting of medical implants (stents).

There was developed a highly efficient technology of medical stents' manufacturing  by means of focused laser beam.

 The developed technology lets us to cut stents  from tube workpieces (material – stainless steel, nitinol etc.) with any complexity of the stent's pattern. In order to implement the developed technology a trial version of industrial laser system that consists of Q-switched YAG laser, beam delivery and focusing system, assyst gas delivery system, monitor and control system and workpiece movement and protection system was developed.

With help of this equipment and the above mentioned technology it is possible to manufacture stents with the diameter ranging from 1.5 mm up to 6 mm (the thickness of  of a separate thread equals to 80 microns) and the overall length up to 150 mm (processing speed – up to 1m/min).

There were established processing regimes that guarantee minimal dimensions of heat affected zones (no phase changes), surface roughness (less that 5 microns) and cutting kerf width (16-30 microns).

Tests of manufactured samples by means of their expanding on mock stent's delivery system show that technical solutions for stents manufacturing are valid and it is possible to proceed with the implementation of stents in medicine.