1988
Palmaz Scientific traces its history to 1988 with the development of the first commercially successful cardiovascular stent, approved by the FDA for use in coronary arteries in 1994.
The inventor, Julio Palmaz, MD, was Chief of Angioplasty and Special Procedures at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio at the time, where he would later be Chief of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Research.
1999
A decade later, with the development of the breakthrough Palmaz™ Stent established as one of the most successful medical devices of the time, Dr. Palmaz partnered with Christopher Banas -- an experienced executive and engineer in the chemical, microelectronics and medical device industries -- to form Advanced Bio Prosthetic Surfaces Ltd. (ABPS). ABPS recruited leading scientists, engineers and technologists with expertise in metallurgy, high-vacuum physical and chemical vapor deposition, and molecular and cellular biology to develop advanced biomaterials for implantable medical devices.
2002
In 2002 ABPS developed a Saphenous Vein Graft (SVG) stent in partnership with the Cordis subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and was awarded the first of nearly 100 patents for thin-film technology. Cordis, a Johnson & Johnson company, subsequently licensed the technology from ABPS and began clinical trials in 2003.
2008
In early 2008 Dr. Palmaz, Steve Solomon, Christopher Banas, Phil Romano and other principals of ABPS, along with private investors, formed Palmaz Scientific to acquire thin-film and related intellectual property, equipment, employees, and related assets from Nitinol Development (NDC), a Johnson & Johnson / Cordis company which had licensed ABPS technology.
2009
Palmaz Scientific files for CE Mark approval for its SESAME CABG Stent.
2010
In May 2010, the Texas Emerging Technology Fund Awards $3 million to the Company to advance its technologies.
Today
Palmaz Scientific's operating objective is to pursue the research, development and commercialization of advanced metallurgical surface nanotechnologies for the manufacture of implantable medical devices. The Palmaz technology uses physical vapor deposition processes to deposit layers of atoms on a substrate to produce very strong, high purity metals which are then fabricated into low-profile implantable medical devices. In addition, Palmaz has developed patented nanotechnology process methods that accelerate the healing process of metals used in implantable medical devices. Research over the last ten years has yielded nearly 100 issued patents and over 100 active patent filings pending for metallurgical surface nanotechnologies and processing methods.