| abstract |
Bioresorbable silk fibroin tracheal stents can be designed and engineered to maintain a tracheal opening. A tracheal stent will maintain a tracheal opening for a period while tissue structure and function is restored. Bioresorbable silk fibroin tracheal stents programmably degrade without negative biological or clinical outcomes. Bioresorbable silk fibroin tracheal stents do not need to be removed following tracheal restoration. Bioresorbable biopolymer tracheal stents can be internally or externally deployed. Bioresorbable biopolymer tracheal stents, for example can be internally or externally deployed in a patient. Such stents may be affixed to function as a splint with tunable mechanically properties to treat, for example, a patient with severe airway collapse. |