Topological optimization of coronary stents

The structural topological optimization method is an effective way to find the optimal topology of stents, which could be tailored for targeted stent performance, such as scaffolding ability, foreshortening, potential restenosis rate, etc. The radial stiffness is one of the major characteristics about stent performance. In this work, the homogenization method was utilized for the optimization of stent designs with the objective of maximizing the scaffolding ability of stent, i.e. its radial stiffness. A few design choices were presented by changing the number and distribution of strut connectors while keeping the void volume as 80%. The obtained optimal topology illustrated that the material distribution was mainly determined by the radial stress applied onto the stent. The optimal topology design in this work paves the way for the following dimension design, which can be targeted to the customized stent design for patient-specific lesions.