Surface structuring of AZ31 Mg alloy with a laser beam for biodegradable stent applications

In biomedical applications functional surfaces are becoming accepted due to the advancements and availability of the new manufacturing methods in the industry. Among other methods, the use of a laser beam to structure surfaces is highly advantageous for industrial applications, since it is a highly flexible process generating both deterministic or stochastic patterns. In the case of biomedical applications, surface modifications can be exploited for the control of wetting behaviour, surface passivation and corrosion resistance, as well as control of the surface roughness for improved biocompatibility [1,2]. The proposed study investigates the use of a pulsed laser source operating in ns regime for the structuring of AZ31 Mg alloy, destined to be used on a biodegradable stent platform [3].