Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), in collaboration with Invasiv Technologies Private Limited, has launched a new coronary stent called Chitra Cor. The product was soft-launched at the 2026 annual conference of the Interventional Cardiology Council of Kerala (ICCK) held in Thiruvananthapuram.
Chitra Cor Uses Less Metal
Chitra Cor is a drug-eluting coronary stent made using a cobalt-chromium alloy platform with a polymer coating. One of its main features is that it uses 30–40% less metal than conventional coronary stents available in the market.
The stent has been developed using a patented design and specialised manufacturing process. The lower amount of metal is expected to reduce injury to blood vessels and lower the risk of complications such as restenosis, or the narrowing of arteries again, and blood clot formation.
New Step in Sree Chitra’s Heart Technology
The launch of Chitra Cor marks another major step in Sree Chitra’s work to develop affordable and advanced medical technologies.
The institute gained international attention in the 1990s with the Chitra Heart Valve, an affordable heart valve technology that became an important example of India’s ability to develop cost-effective medical devices. The heart valve continues to be used in the market.
Chitra Cor is the latest technology to emerge from this long-standing work in cardiovascular medical devices.
Technology Developed at Sree Chitra
The stent was designed by the Artificial Internal Organs division of Sree Chitra’s Biomedical Technology (BMT) wing.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024, the technology was transferred to Invasiv Technologies Private Limited for further development and commercialisation. The company received a manufacturing licence from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in December 2025.
The project was supported by the Technical Research Centre for Biomedical Devices under the Department of Science and Technology.
Recognition for Innovation
The technology has also received recognition for its innovation. In 2024, it was selected among the top three healthcare innovation ideas at the Aegis Graham Bell Awards.
In 2023, it was also recognised among the top 12 innovative ideas under the BUILD programme of the IIT Madras Incubation Cell, conducted as part of the Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development initiative.
Chitra Tin in Pre-Clinical Evaluation
Sree Chitra and Invasiv Technologies are also working on another coronary stent called Chitra Tin.
The new stent is currently undergoing pre-clinical evaluation ahead of a planned global launch. Unlike conventional drug-eluting stents, Chitra Tin is a polymer-free bare-metal stent with a titanium nitride coating.
The coating is designed to prevent direct contact between the metal surface and blood or surrounding cells. This could further reduce the risk of restenosis and blood clot formation.
The developers say the use of a tin-based coating would make Chitra Tin a novel product in the coronary stent segment, as conventional coronary stents in the global market do not currently use this type of coating.
With Chitra Cor and the upcoming Chitra Tin, Sree Chitra is continuing its efforts to develop affordable and innovative cardiovascular technologies in India.
