A bioinspired design approach for biomechanically matched tracheal stents

Abstract

Medical implants with customizable design capabilities are an important direction for high-end medical devices. An important standard in implant design is to match the mechanical properties of the implantation site. Inspired by the ‘cartilage ring-connective tissue’ structure of natural tracheal, we propose a design approach of tracheal stent composed of ‘skeleton + filling matrix’. By establishing a mapping model of structural parameters and J-type response mechanical properties, we realize a larger degree of freedom in adjusting the J-type mechanical properties. This design approach uniquely aligns the mechanical properties of the tracheal stent with those of the native trachea. We provided a thermal field-assisted rotary printing method enabling the integration of both thermoplastic and thermoset materials, which have successfully fabricated this heterogeneous structural stent as a single piece using. Our design methodology is a great inspiration for the development of medical luminal implants with designable and adjustable mechanical properties.

Keywords

• Central airway obstruction
• J-type response
• bioinspired design
• additive manufacturing
• tracheal stent