Professor Kang-ju Lee (Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Ph.D. candidate Geon-a Kim

A paper by Geon-a Kim, a Ph.D. candidate in the Translational Bio-Microfabrication Laboratory at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Incheon National University (Advisor: Professor Kang-ju Lee), titled “Microneedle Stent for Intravascular Anchoring Effect,” has been published in the international journal Advanced Healthcare Materials (Impact Factor: 9.6, JCR TOP 8.5%) in the field of biomaterials and applied sciences, and has been selected as a cover article.

This study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from Asan Medical Center, aimed to develop a microneedle stent capable of stable anchoring within blood vessels. By applying a microneedle structure to the surface of conventional PCL stents, the research introduces a novel strategy to effectively address stent migration by inducing a mechanical anchoring effect with vascular tissue.

In particular, the microneedle structure fabricated using the biocompatible polymer PCL (polycaprolactone) achieves both excellent fixation stability and minimal invasiveness, demonstrating strong potential for future applications in next-generation intravascular medical devices. This study highlights how mechanical engineering-based design technologies can significantly contribute to the fields of biomedical engineering and medical devices.