Developed by Sarco Stopper in collaboration with SGN Medical stent technology transfer for pipeline applications

Sarco Stopper secured exclusive rights to a medical inflatable Stent® patent for use in pipeline networks. The benefits of Stent technology will allow leaks to be managed by deploying under pressure a Stent with hollow centre, along with a camera into a gas or water distribution main.

The Stent would then be inflated to manage the leak, while allowing gas, water or other fluids to flow through the centre of the Stent and avoiding depressurising the network, which could affect large geographic areas requiring complex valve shuts and avoiding pipe technicians going into the leakage red zone.

The Sarco Gas Stent® project has been developed with UK gas distribution company SGN and has recently been approved for use in their network areas, and will now be available to other gas distributors in the UK and export markets later this year.

Introduction
Innovation often emerges where disciplines overlap. The inflatable Stent illustrates this perfectly: first conceived as a medical breakthrough for vascular surgery, it has since been re-engineered into a pioneering solution for the gas industry. Dr. Richard Halpin, the surgeon behind the original invention, provided the foundation. Sarco Stopper, supported by SGN with development funding from Network Innovation Allowance, Transport for London, and Kent Lane Rentals, adapted his idea into the 2025 award-winning gas utility device that can transform live pipeline interventions.

Medical Origins
In the 1990s, Halpin sought a safer, less traumatic way to treat narrowed arteries. Conventional metal stents were rigid and invasive. His solution was an inflatable Stent®: a balloon-delivered device that could be expanded in place to support vessel walls while maintaining blood flow. Patent filings and prototypes confirmed its potential. More than a medical advance, it introduced the principle that inflatable self-supporting structures could solve problems in confined, pressurised environments—an idea with applications far beyond surgery.

Technology Transfer to the Gas Sector
The leap to utilities came from recognising parallels between arteries and pipelines. Gas networks often require sections to be sealed for repair, but conventional methods can mean costly excavations, complex shutdowns, and safety risks. Sarco Stopper saw how Halpin’s concept could be adapted. The vision was a “Gas Stent®”—a balloon device deployed into live mains to create a temporary leak seal, allowing safe intervention without major disruption.

Development and Trials
Adapting the Stent for pipelines demanded new materials and designs. Unlike arteries, gas mains carry higher pressures, wider diameters, and flammable contents. Sarco design engineers developed advanced elastomers, robust delivery systems, and built-in safety features. With SGN’s operational expertise and funding, the Gas Stent Project moved from laboratory to live trials. Bench tests confirmed reliability under pressure and chemical exposure. Field deployments showed rapid installation, safe retrieval, and compliance with industry standards—all while re-establishing gas flow to customers.

Commercial Impact
The inflatable Gas Stent quickly demonstrated major benefits: reduced disruption by minimising excavations and pipe replacements; improved safety for engineers and the public; lower emissions thanks to reduced gas release during leak repairs and maintenance work. These achievements earned Sarco Stopper multiple innovation awards and highlighted the device as a new benchmark for live gas interventions in the UK and beyond.

Lessons and Future Potential
The journey offers three key lessons: cross-sector thinking can unlock powerful solutions; continuous feedback between developers and end-users ensures practical design; collaboration accelerates innovation and reduces risk. Looking forward, Sarco Stopper is now exploring applications of inflatable Stent® technology in water mains and pipe welding applications, extending Halpin’s legacy into new sectors.

Conclusion
From operating theatres to utility trenches, the inflatable Stent has travelled an extraordinary path. What began as Dr. Richard Halpin’s medical innovation has been transformed by Sarco Stopper and its SGN partner into a technology that can reshape pipeline management. It stands as proof that with imagination, collaboration, and persistence, an idea can cross market sectors and redefine what is possible.