Experimental and numerical biomechanical analysis of vascular stent

The paper presents results of the experimental and numerical research of a vascular stent used in a treatment of blood vessel stenosis. In particular, the biomechanical characteristic of the stent was determined. The characteristic presents changes of the outer diameter of the stent as a function of an expanding pressure. Furthermore, a model of blood vessel was worked out. It made possible to analyze the stent expansion process taking mechanical properties of the blood vessel into consideration. The analysis of the obtained results confirms the usefulness of numerical methods in analyzing phenomena occurring while expansion process of implants used in an interventional cardiology. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.