Study of Coronary Stent Deformation using Finite Element Method

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the plaque, made up of organic and inorganic substances such as fat, cholesterol and calcium, gets deposited in the inner walls of the arteries. This result in the narrowing of the arteries that prohibits the supply of the oxygen rich blood to the heart and the other parts of the body. Atherosclerosis can be treated by deploying a stent in the affected artery. Stent is a miniaturized mesh like tube structure that pushes the plaque depositions against the arterial walls and restores the normal blood flow in the artery. This paper gives the study of the deformation of a coronary stent that is deployed in the coronary artery of the heart. Stent deformation is studied, during its expansion on application of load, using finite element method. This work also gives the analysis of other parameters associated with the stent deformation such as, dogboning and foreshortening.