The future of 3D printing in instrumented implantable polymer meta-stents

An increasing diversity of performance demands are being put on devices for medical applications. These include the need for the best mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic, chemical, and flow properties, biological compatibility, and low weight of such material systems. In this review article, we discuss three features that can confer advantages for new instrumented implementable stents. Firstly, we examine the benefits of using 3D-printed polymer stents by comparing their characteristics with metallic devices. One challenge of designing mechanical metamaterial-based stents is choosing their complex geometric structure. Secondly, we report progress in the design of printed antennas for wireless communication with implantable stents capable of monitoring real-time biological signals. This could be very important for early diagnosis of in-stent restenosis and real-time monitoring of intravascular blood conditions. Thirdly, virtual replica digital twin technology can facilitate personalized stent design based on individual patient characteristics, medical history, and real-time physiological data. This new predictive analysis in healthcare systems relies largely on the use of deep learning algorithms, appropriate for managing massive data integration. Finally, we summarize some of the major outstanding challenges that, if addressed, would move us substantially closer to realizing practically useful instrumented implantable polymer meta-stents that are integrated systems. Looking to the future, the conclusions of this review will be beneficial for researchers, clinicians, and engineers in the development and application of 3D printing for improved instrumented polymer stents.