A dual-functional ureteral stent with two-step shape recovery and antifouling properties
발표자
이상민 (연세대학교)
연구책임자
성학준 (연세대학교)
공동저자
이상민 (연세대학교), 김요한 (연세대학교), 이강석 (티엠디랩), 성학준 (연세대학교)
초록
내용
Ureteral stents (US) are widely used to restore urinary flow obstructed by stones or strictures. However, the pigtail configuration of conventional USs often causes significant discomfort during removal, and their surfaces are highly susceptible to biofilm and encrustation formation. These limitations have driven the development of a novel dual-functional US. A two-step shape recovery property was designed to reduce removal-related discomfort. In the primary step, hydration induces transformation into a pigtail configuration for stable fixation in the kidney and bladder. In the secondary step, melting temperature (Tm) triggers transformation into a straight configuration, minimizing pain during removal. In addition, methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG)-mediated antifouling hydration layer suppresses bacterial adhesion, resulting in inhibition of biofilm and encrustation formation. Consequently, we evaluated shape recovery behavior and antifouling performance of dual-functional US.