Bioresorbable Scaffolds

The iron-based bioresorbable coronary scaffold (IBS™) of Lifetech Scientific is shown in Figure 10.7.1. The sinusoid rings of the scaffold, composed of 6-10 crowns, are connected together by 3-5 omega-shaped connectors circumferentially to cover a diameter range of 2.0-4.0 mm and a length range of 8-38 mm, which is exactly the same as mainstream permanent coronary stents. The scaffold, only 50-55 µm thick, weighs 2.6-23 mg for the entire range of available specifications, which is much less than the daily iron dosage transferred by hemoglobin in an adult blood system. A set of integrated gold marks, weighing 0.2 mg, is placed at each end of the scaffold to ensure enough radiopacity.