Absorb stent. — VNS Photo

US healthcare company Abbott was named among the 10 most innovative bio-tech businesses in 2017 by Fast Company, an American business magazine.

To produce the list, Fast Company reporters surveyed thousands of enterprises across the globe to identify the most notable innovations of the year and trace their impact on business, industry, and the larger culture.

In the past Abbott was named among the Top 100 Global Innovators for four consecutive years.

An Abbott product which won many innovation awards is Absorb stent, the world's first fully dissolving heart stent to treat coronary artery disease (CAD).

Absorb functions like a permanent metallic stent by opening a blocked artery in the heart, restoring blood flow and providing relief from symptoms of CAD.

It fully dissolves after three years, leaving nothing behind but a restored vessel.

It was introduced in Viet Nam in 2012 and more than 400 implantations have been done since. — VNS