Study on the impact of straight stents on arteries with different curvatures

Different stent structures lead to different deformations of blood vessels, such as different cross-section shapes, which further influence the blood flow patterns. In this paper, sis non-commercial stents with different link structures called I-, C-, S-, U-, N-, and W-types were considered. Their influences on arteries with five different curvatures (i.e., 0 ∘,15 ∘ , 30 ∘, 45 ∘, and 60∘) were studied using finite element method. Four indices including the maximum plastic strain of stents, the rate of expansion, the maximum von Mises stress and the ellipticity of arteries, were compared for all cases. The results showed that the S-type or U-type stents, with larger plastic strain and lower von Mises stress on the arteries, provided the optimal outcome. As the link structures became complex, the arterial expansion increased monotonically, while the ellipticity of arteries showed a decreasing tendency in the vessel models. The present study could be useful for the commercial design and clinic selection of a stent with different link structures for different curved arteries.