Fiber-reinforced silicone for tracheobronchial stents: An experimental study.

A trachea is a tubular structure composed of smooth muscle that is reinforced with cartilage rings. Some diseases can cause sagging in smooth muscle and cartilaginous tissue. The end result is reduction (narrowing) of the trachea diameter.

[Development of a modified Dumon stent for tracheal applications: an experimental study in dogs].

Objective: To describe the development of a silicone stent and perform in vivo testing for biocompatibility/applicability in the normal canine trachea.

Methods: Four different densities were tested in order to obtain the silicone prototypes. The pressure required for compression considering a contact area of 1 cm(2), and a 30% reduction in diameter was calculated for each density.