Medtronic Begins U.S. Study of Resolute Onyx Drug-Eluting Stent

Medtronic has launched a U.S. trial of its Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stent. The first phase of the study will evaluate the device’s effectiveness in of patients with coronary artery disease who have small vessels requiring a 2 mm stent. Other stent sizes will be studied separately, the devicemaker said Thursday.

The Resolute Onyx DES features CoreWire technology, which gives it a dense metal core surrounded by a cobalt alloy. CoreWire technology is a method of stent manufacturing that molds one single strand of wire into a sinusoidal wave, enabling a continuous range of motion, the Irish devicemaker said. This also allows for greater visibility during the procedure, but with thinner struts, the firm added.

The stent was CE-marked in November 2014. — Kellen Owings