Biotronik Dreams stent achieves first successful patient implantation

Biotronik has announced that its new Dreams (Drug Eluting Absorbable Metal Scaffold) stent technology has been successfully implanted into a patient for the first time.

The surgery took place in Germany as part of the clinical study Biosolve-I, with surgeon Professor Dr Michael Haude stating that the procedure went "very well".

Biotronik has hailed the event as a potential milestone for the treatment of coronary artery disease, as its device is the first stent to combine the mechanical advantages of a metallic device with an anti-proliferative drug.

It states that the device's design can help to keep blood vessels open and protected from clogging, while its biodegradability avoids the risks normally associated with permanent metal stents.

Alain Aimonetti, vice-president for marketing and sales at Biotronik, said: "Many physicians anticipate that the absorbable aspect will initiate a true revolution in interventional cardiology. Looking at our vast amount of preclinical data, I am optimistic for the outcome of this study."

Last month, Biotronik published data from a trial of Home Monitoring, its wireless remote monitoring system for cardiac device patients, demonstrating the benefits it provides in care quality.