In medical terminology, the word refers to the lumen—the interior open space of a tubular structure or organ. Examples include blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, the urinary tract, and bronchial airways. An "os" (from the Latin mouth or opening) refers to an anatomical orifice, most notably the cervical os (the opening of the cervix) or the external osteum of various ducts.
Engineers are developing unblocking systems that incorporate temporary, biodegradable scaffolds. Once the os is mechanically opened, the device leaves behind a temporary support structures that slowly dissolves over several weeks, preventing the tissue from snapping back or scarring over. Smart Shape-Memory Alloys luminal os unblocker