Heart stents are small, mesh-like tubes that are inserted into narrowed or blocked arteries in the heart to help improve blood flow. They are designed to be minimally invasive and can often be placed without the need for open heart surgery.
The design of heart stents involves several key considerations.
Stents are typically made of metal, such as stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, or nickel-titanium alloy (also known as Nitinol). These materials are chosen for their strength, flexibility, and ability to resist corrosion.
Stents may be coated with drugs to help prevent the formation of scar tissue, which can lead to re-narrowing of the artery. The coating can also reduce inflammation and improve the stent's performance.
The thickness of the metal struts that make up the stent can affect its flexibility and ability to conform to the shape of the artery. Thinner struts can be more flexible, but may also be more likely to fracture.
Stents come in a range of lengths to fit different artery sizes and shapes. Longer stents may be used for longer blockages, while shorter stents may be used in smaller arteries.
Stents can be deployed using a balloon catheter, which inflates the stent to the desired size and compresses it against the artery wall. Alternatively, self-expanding stents use the natural elasticity of the metal to expand and hold the artery open.
Stent design can vary widely, with different shapes, patterns, and configurations of the struts. The design can affect the stent's ability to resist compression, conform to the artery, and maintain its position over time.
Loads to the stent involve the hydraulic inflation, the cyclic fatigue load during it's lifetime, the flexibility loading. The deformed stent from initial insertion is nonlinear regime of the engineering stress strain material property curve.