Stents in all their variations and materials are wonders of manufacturing. Lasers and exotic materials get most credit for the implant's manufacturing success. But another machine on stent production lines also deserves attention. It's a miniature sand blaster that works with a powder-like abrasive. The MicroBlaster from Comco Inc., Burbank, Calif. (www.comco.com) uses compressed air to propel an abrasive media at high speed that removes sharp edges and manufacturing residue left by lasers, such as oxides and slag. If untreated, the imperfections adversely affect the performance and life span of the stent.

The unit's nozzle can be used manually or fixtured for applications that require a higher degree of precision. And by varying the type and size of abrasive, air pressure, and nozzle opening, micro-abrasive blasting can be used for cutting, cleaning, deburing, surface preparation, and material removal on a variety of laser machined and stamped surfaces. For its contribution to improving the surfaces on implants, the Comco MicroBlaster is the Medical Design Machine of the Month.