Overview on the Current Global Market of Stent Implants

According to the current state of the art, the majority of stent implants are laser-cut or wire-based. The dimensions, manufacturing processes and materials vary depending on the medical field of application and the cost-effectiveness of the manufacturing processes. Nevertheless, choosing the optimal combination of materials and manufacturing processes as a technological basis for application specific solutions is critical for clinical success and economic security of manufacturers.

As part of a recent study at the Institute für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA) an updated overview of available stent implants on world markets was compiled to provide an improved basis for product and process development in the highly regulated field of medical stent implants. The analysis provides a comprehensive insight on the aspects material, manufacturing processes, implant geometry and fields of application of currently available stent implants. Initially, an overview of the development of clinical interventions with stent use in Germany between the years 2010 - 2019 is provided. The result of the market research is a data set of 443 products and 12,743 variants each with more than fifteen product-specific aspects. The resulting analysis includes an evaluation of the most important manufacturers, regions and application areas as well as a detailed breakdown of current manufacturing processes. Additionally, application- and production process specific evaluation of the materials and dimensions is carried out.