Isoflux's proprietary VisTa coating consists of a unique nano-structured tantalum coating that offers unparalleled performance for some of the most difficult medical applications.
Enhanced Visibility
Tantalum provides enhanced visibility of devices like stents, which is a particular problem for self-expanding nitinol stents which are poorly visible under fluoroscopy, as seen in the image to the right. An uncoated nitinol stent is virtually invisible under X-ray whereas a stent coated with VisTa is clearly visible, giving doctors the ability to easily visualize both the position and orientation of the device. This enhanced visibility is achieved without the addition of marker bands, which can improve imaging but which can negatively affect the performance of the device.
Critical Performance For Stents
VisTa's unique nanostructure enables unparalleled flexibility, which is critical for the performance of nitinol stents. Studies have shown that the inherent properties of Nitinol devices are not compromised. There is no significant change in the chronic outward force or the radial resistive force - visibility without sacrificing mechanical properties.
In addition, VisTa is highly biocompatible. Thirty day and six month porcine studies showed no statistical difference between VisTa coated stents and uncoated Nitinol stents in stenosis, intimal thickness, injury score or inflamation score.
Unique Nanostructure Enables Other Applications
The unique nanostructure of VisTa, which is critical for the flexibility of the coating, enables a number of unique applications. VisTa consists of individual "pillars" of coating that provide the unique structure shown at the right. This structure enables:
- Non-polymer drug delivery coatings
- Orthopedic coating to promote cellular adhesion
