Sahajanand Laser Technology Limited has decided to tie up with Chennai based Japanese company, Niche In Center for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM), for technological collaboration to develop non-rejectible stents for Cardiac patients. The stent is likely to save post surgery expenditure to the tune of around 85 to 90 percent and increase the acceptability of the stents by the human body. At present post surgery medicine cost per month, during first year, is around Rs. 3000 to 5000.

Gandhinagar based, Lancer Medical Technology Pvt. Ltd., is a subsidiary of Sahajanand Laser Technology Private Limited, a leading company in the arena of Laser technology and winner of National awards for its excellence in laser invention and excellence in field of electronics. The new technology is expected to become a best substitute of bypass surgery.

The hybrid cell coated stent, will be an anti thrombogenic, with no restenosis and lesser inflammatory reaction to give the patient a longer disease free survival. The stent will become a boon for patients of Ischemic heart disease, the major killer disease spreading its tentacles in India, due to modern days stressful life.

Problems of artery blockages, due to higher level of Cholesterol is a major killer disease in India. But the steel or a cobalt chromium stent covered with thin layer of endothelial - a portion taken out of patients own body before performing angioplasty, which is likely to be developed by the Lancer Medical Technology Pvt. Ltd, will become boon for cardiac patients. Thus the stent, which is actually a foreign part in the human body, is likely to be perceived as an inner part of the body and problem of clotting blood cell in the periphery of the stent and chances of creation of new blockage in the same part of the artery will come down.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Arvind Patel, the MD of Sahajanand Laser Technology Limited, Said: "the technology of coating stent with endothelial, is to cheat blood cell and making it believe that the stent, which is implanted in the body is not a foreign part and accepting it as a natural part of human body. Thus the new technology is likely to reduce the chance of accumulation of blood cell on the outer level of the stent and rejection ratio of the stent. The technology is likely to bring down rejection level of stents by the human body to zero level or to less than 1 per cent from the present level of around 10 to 12 per cent."
        
Dr. Malt Nuess, a pediatric cardiologist and a mechanical engineer, said, "at present we are using medicine to decrease possibilities of formation of thrombosis by clotting of blood cell around stent, implanted in artery, which create blockage in artery. But effect of the medicine does not last for more than 29 days. We will try to overcome the drawback of the stent and develop a stent with permanent acceptability by human body.

The experiment for the same is expected to start from next month in a phased manner and will be completed in 21 to 30 months. Focus of our R&D will be on checking elasticity of endothelial, which will be used for covering the stent, made from steel or cobalt chromium. The new stent will be a MRI compatible. It will be easy to locate the stent in post operative MRI scanning."

NCRM's major achievements include successful stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury and ischemic Limb of a diabetic in India. The company has filed its first patent application on Chondrocytes culture expansion and Cor neal Limbal stem cell expansion. Addressing a press conference, Dr.Samuel J.K., Director NCRM, said, "the technical tie-up, with Lancer Medical Technology Pvt. Ltd., will be a big leap in a new direction and expected to bring excellent results in coming years."

Talking to media, Kenil Jain, General Manager (Marketing) of Lancer Medical Technology Pvt. Ltd., said, 'Market for the stent is growing at the rate of around 20 to 30 per cent per anum. Today market of the steel and chromium cobalt stent is of around 55,000 to 70,000 stent. Considering the stress and tensions of the modern lifestyle demand for the stent is likely to grow at a faster rate. Even in export market, we have good scope for export of stent and new technology to cover it with endothelial.