Design of 4D printed shape-changing tracheal stent and remote controlling actuation

ABSTRACT As a kind of medical treatment device, shape memory tracheal stent has a good application prospect. The biodegradable stent can effectively reduce the damage to patients and improve the therapeutic performance of stents. In this work, a series of shape memory polylactic acid (Fe3O4) composite tracheal stents were manufactured by 4D printing. The composite tracheal stents with different structures were designed. Moreover, with the addition of magnetic particles Fe3O4, the shape memory PLA/Fe3O4 composite tracheal stent has a magnetic driving effect. Under the magnetic field, the shape recovery process is completed within 40 s, and the shape recovery rate is more than 99%. Moreover, the 4D printed tracheal stent was also triggered by the irradiation of infrared lamp to realize the remote controlling recovery. The research on the structure design and driving method of 4D printing tracheal stent expands the application scope of shape memory polymer composites in biomedical field, provides a new way for personalized implantable medical devices and minimally invasive surgery. It is of great significance for better precision medical treatment. Graphical abstract