Biosensors International Group says the 8-month results from the CARE II Study, which showed that its Sparrow drug-eluting stent system, developed by recently-acquired CardioMind, Inc., is both safe and effective in the treatment of small vessel lesions.

The Sparrow drug-eluting stent system combines a limus drug in a fully biodegradable polymer matrix with a self-expanding ultra-thin nitinol stent, mounted within a 0.014-inch guidewire delivery system.

Due to its “stent-on-the-wire” construction, Sparrow has been developed as the smallest profile drug-eluting stent system in the world, 60% smaller than the nearest available coronary stent system. Stent deployment is achieved through a release mechanism which utilises electrochemical dissolution.

The CARE II trial included 138 patients with coronary artery lesions.