Diabolical ironclad beetle elytra-inspired flexible WE43 magnesium endovascular stent structures and their biomechanical potential

Abstract

Nature-inspired designs have increasingly influenced biomedical engineering by providing superior biomechanical performance and structural stability. In this study, the diabolical ironclad beetle elytra structure was applied to stent strut designs and thoroughly evaluated through various computational simulations to assess their potential to enhance the mechanical performance of WE43 magnesium alloy stents. Connected elliptical structures with a vertical-to-horizontal length ratio of 1:1.8 were incorporated in varying numbers and then compared to conventional laser-cut stents using 3-point bending, crush, crimping, and expansion tests, internal carotid artery insertion simulations, and computational fluid dynamics analyses. The results demonstrated that the biomimetic stents exhibited significantly improved stress distribution and reduced applied stress while maintaining hemodynamic stability. Computational fluid dynamics simulations further confirmed that the biomimetic could reduce wall shear stress and improve blood flow, thereby potentially minimizing the risk of restenosis and thrombosis. These findings suggest that diabolical ironclad beetle-inspired stent structures may offer enhanced biomechanical performance and clinical safety in magnesium-based endovascular interventions.