Rapid prototyping and tooling in the production of polymeric meshed-type colon stent

Abstract

Colorectal stents are sometimes used in the treatment of colorectal obstructions due to carcinoma growth. The use of such implants offers numerous advantages over conventional methods of treatment. However, the high costs of the devices often make its use unjustifiable. In this paper, rapid prototyping and tooling techniques were successfully used in an attempt to create a polymeric colorectal stent that can be produced cheaply.