Mechanics-guided design of inflatable heterogeneous shape memory polymer vascular stents

•The proposed inflatable heterogeneous SMP stents can realize high-force actuations through extrinsically controlled pressure.•A theoretical model is developed for understanding the mechanics of the stents during deployment.•The working curve of the stents depend on both the design parameters and the rigidity of the plaque.•Design guidelines are given for the stents to achieve desired performance.