Endoluminal stent cross section for optimum biocompatibility

摘要

A stent design minimizing the disturbance of blood flow and minimizing the trauma caused by the stent to the vessel in which it is implanted. The geometry of the stent struts reduces the neointima hyperplasia caused by trauma to the vessel wall and caused by disturbance to the endothelium created by changes in fluid shear stress. A stent is disclosed that includes struts having an outer surface configured to reduce the injury and inflammation to the vessel wall. The shape of the outer surface of the stent strut that distributes the stress imposed on the vessel wall surface evenly over the stent outer surface is a singular arc whose radii of curvature is such that the vessel wall meets this circular arc at its edge, and at this edge the strut surface slope matches that of the vessel wall. The stent is further configured with struts that have an inner surface with a geometry that reduces the turbulence of the blood flow as it passes over the struts. The inner surface provides a smooth transition at the interface between the strut leading edge and the vessel wall, and provides a smooth transition at the interface between the strut trailing edge and the vessel wall, yielding a wing-like shape to the inner surface of the strut. The overall optimal geometry of the stent strut combines an outer surface that minimizes vessel injury with an inner surface having hydrodynamics that minimizes the disturbance to the blood flow in the vessel.