삼성서울병원

A team of the Department of Radiology led by In-wook Choo (Members: Prof. Hong-suk Park, Prof. Jae J. Kim, Prof. Byung-hoon Min, and PhD S. W. Seo) developed a new ring stent by refining GI CHOO stent. The team made an application for a patent and already reported pre-clinical trial results to the academia, preparing for its clinical use.

Compared surgical procedures, introducing an expandable stent to stenosis of ductal tissues is very simple and more affordable, causes less damage, and has wider indications. Success of stent insertion largely depends on performance of stents and insertion tools.

In 1997, Prof. Choo noticed the need to improve the performance of GI stents applied to curvy digestive tracts such as the esophagus, the rectum, and the large intestine. He developed a much more flexible and highly biocompatible stent than existing products and commercialized it under the name of CHOO stent after patent application and clinical trials.

CHOO stents have been well received thanks to its great effectiveness against GI stenosis of GI cancer patients and improved their quality of life. Health care professionals especially in the U.S. and Europe have been used this device widely.

This time, Prof. Choo’s team designed Ring CHOO stent by strengthening its silicone cover that broke over time and keeping its outstanding flexibility and low mobility.

Then, the team conducted a pre-clinical trial for a year and published the results in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

The new version is currently under a biocompatibility test by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea. Once the test is completed, Standard SciTech, the manufacturer of BONASTENT will manufacture and supply Ring CHOO stents globally.

By designing CHOO stents, Prof. Choo and his team have led development of Korean medical devices. Now again with Ring CHOO stents, they are expected to lead Korea’s medical industry and advancement of technology.