Abstract
Drug-eluting balloon (DEB) angioplasty has emerged as an effective treatment for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, distal embolism and late lumen restenosis could be caused by drug loss during DEB handling and rapid drug metabolization. Here, a drug-loaded balloon equipped with tip-separable microneedles on the balloon surface (MNDLB) was developed. Inbuilt near-infrared (NIR) ring laser inside the catheter inner shaft was introduced to activate the biodegradable microneedle tips for the first time. The drug-loaded tips thus could be embedded in the vasculature and then released antiproliferative drug - paclitaxel slowly via polymer degradation for more than half a year. A significant increase in drug delivery efficiency and superior therapeutic effectiveness compared with the standard DEB were demonstrated using an atherosclerosis rabbit model.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
