Medical device maker Medtronic Inc said that it has initiated a feasibility study for a treatment for erectile dysfunction that uses a specifically created drug-eluting stent.

The study is called Zen and is expected to enroll 50 subjects at up to 10 U. S. medical centers over the next year.

Dr. Jason Rogers, director of interventional cardiology at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and a lead investigator for the study, said in a statement, "The link between erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease has been well established. Based on this evidence, we are investigating the use of stents in pelvic arteries to determine whether it may provide a new treatment approach and enable better response to drug therapies".

The study is aimed towards men who have not responded well to PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra.

The study involves examining the safety and improved erectile function of pelvic artery stenting. The results are expected in 2011.