The stent is mainly made of nickel-titanium alloy or cobalt-chromium alloy.
Nitinol can be coated with medication to prevent re-thrombosis in the stent.
The current direction of medical development is resorbable stents, especially some younger or religious patients, for the alloy stents are rejected, but the resorbable stents clinical trials have not yet been successful, the current need for the application of alloy stents.
The Co-Cr alloy was first discovered by ElwoodHaynes in the early 1900s by fusing cobalt and chromium. The alloy was originally discovered with many other elements, such as tungsten and molybdenum.
Haynes reported that his alloy was resistant to oxidizing and corrosive fumes, and showed no visible signs of discoloration even when the alloy was subjected to boiling nitric acid.
Co-Cr alloys, which go by the name of Stellite, are used in a variety of applications where high wear resistance is required, including in the aerospace industry, cutlery, bearings, blades, and more.