Laser microfabrication of L605 cobalt-chromium cardiovascular stent implants with modulated pulsed Nd:YAG laser

Photonics modulation techniques can be effectively used for the laser microfabrication of biomedical implants to achieve better flexibility and control of the available optical power. These enable the processing and manufacturing of biomedical implants like cardiovascular stents and micro-metallic components with reduced heat affected zone (HAZ) and extremely precise edge cutting. Our investigation deals with the study of acousto-optic modulation of a pulsed Nd: YAG laser beam and further profile cutting of thin cobalt-chromium tubes for cardiovascular stent manufacturing. The acousto-optic modulator used in the investigations is a Bragg diffraction device. During one piercing process, the focused laser power is gradually varied from a low value and reaches the maximum as the beam goes deeper into the material. The optimum value for dwell time during which the laser piercing is occurring is found as 58 ms. A 14-step staircase modulating voltage with a maximum AC component of 900 mV was used, and the laser power was 4.4 W in TEM(00) operation. Pulsed Nd: YAG laser modulated using an acousto-optic device in the Bragg regime is capable of cutting extremely complex geometries of stents on L605 tubing. Laser cutting resulted in a kerf width of 22.5 +/- 0.5 mu m. Precise strut dimensions of 112 +/- 15 mu m for the subsidiary strut, 140 +/- 15 mu m for the main strut, and 140 +/- 15 mu m for the link were also obtained. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of L605 stents illustrate the higher strength Co-Cr alloy L605 with the same ductility, its ability to be translated into thinner struts, and improved deliverability. L605 also exhibits enhanced radio visibility thanks to its tungsten content and exceptional work hardening rate for a uniform expansion with minimal recoil. c 2008 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.2965539]