A single-tube-braided stent for various airway structures

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials engineering
• Medical device design
• Respiratory medicine

Background:

• Current metallic and silicone airway stents lack patient-specific customization.
• Existing custom stents struggle with complex airway anatomies and standardized manufacturing.
• Need for adaptable, easily manufactured airway stents for diverse patient needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design novel, shape-adaptive airway stents for complex anatomical structures like the tracheal carina.
• To develop a standardized fabrication method for these customized airway stents.
• To evaluate the mechanical properties and functional performance of the novel stents.

Main Methods:

• A design strategy for varied stent shapes was developed.
• A braiding method was employed to prototype six single-tube-braided stent types.
• Theoretical modeling, compression tests, water tank tests, phantom, and ex vivo experiments were conducted.

Main Results:

• Theoretical models accurately predicted experimental outcomes for radial stiffness and compression.
• Stents demonstrated mechanical robustness, withstanding 5.79N compression.
• Stents maintained function under continuous water pressure for 30 days and adapted well to airway structures in tests.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a new approach for designing customized, adaptive, and easily fabricated airway stents.
• These novel stents show potential for meeting diverse clinical requirements in airway illnesses.
• The proposed fabrication method offers a standardized solution for custom airway stent production.