A research team from the University of British Columbia electrical and computer engineering professor Kenichi Takahata has developed a smart stent that monitors elusive changes in artery blood-flow, which can aid in earlier detection and diagnosis making treatment possible. 

Kenichi Takahata said "We modified a stent to function as a miniature antenna and added a special micro-sensor that we developed to continuously track blood flow. The data can then be sent wirelessly to an external reader, providing constantly updated information on the artery's condition".

The smart stent looks similar to most commercial stents and uses medical-grade stainless steel. The researcher remarked that the devices as the first angioplasty smart stent, can be implanted in the patients without any modification in current medical procedures.

“Monitoring the recurrence of abnormal narrowing of an artery after standard stent surgery is critical in maintaining health disease”. “Implanting a smart stent instead of standard stent can assist clinicians in early detection and monitor their patient's health more easily and offer early treatment” stated Research collaborator Dr. York Hsiang, a UBC professor of surgery and a vascular surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital

The device prototype was successfully lab tested in a pig model. The research team is looking at industry partnerships to further advance the device, put it through clinical trials and eventually commercialize it.