Numerical investigation of the influence of the link positioning in the coronary stent inside the normal artery: a comparative study of two commercial stent designs

This paper investigates the performance of two commercial stent designs inside the normal artery for induced Von Mises Stress and radial displacement pattern. Investigation focuses on identifying the key design feature of the stent structure responsible for varied stress and displacement pattern. Two commercial stent designs, Supraflex (Stent S) and Yukon Choice (Stent T),are modeled using micro CT images and MIMICS (R) while idealized models are used for investigation. ANSYS Workbench is used to numerically expand the stent inside an idealized normal artery with inflation pressure. The stent and the artery are modeled using elastic-plastic and hyperelastic material models, respectively. The results suggest crucial influence of the link positioning in inducing an area of higher Von Mises Stress and stress gradient. The locations of a higher stress gradient are those in line with unbound stent crowns. Also, higher and uniform arterial displacement can be observed in the locations in line with the bound crown. Results also suggested a considerable difference in arterial distortion induced by two designs, causes for which can also be attributed to the differences in the link placement. The study suggests that the link connections play a crucial role in setting up stress field/radial displacement. Suitable modification of the link positioning can reduce the higher stress gradient and arterial distortion, which probably can reduce arterial injury.