Development of a phase-field model for corrosion and degradation in bioresorbable stents
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Date
2022
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Saudi Digital Library
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases—particularly chronic coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction—are the leading causes of death in industrialized countries. In 2019, an estimated nine million people died from heart diseases, with 60% of these deaths attributable to CHD. Due to demographic change, an aging population is expected, leading to an increase in degenerative diseases and greater challenges for healthcare systems. Two treatment options currently exist for CHD: coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), which is performed surgically and in hospital settings, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), introduced in 1977, where a stent is placed minimally invasively without requiring extended hospitalization. Although stent-based therapy has advantages over CABG in medical and economic terms, a recent meta-analysis shows the superiority of bypass surgery in improving 10-year survival rates, partly due to side effects of PTCA. Current research therefore focuses on bioresorbable materials for stent manufacturing, aiming to provide safer, more effective, and sustainable patient care compared to conventional permanent stents. While bioresorbable stents appear promising, their degradation behavior still leads to complications, preventing them from surpassing permanent stents at present. Ongoing projects aim to better predict corrosion processes and improve the safety of bioresorbable stents, with fracture mechanics and phase-field modeling representing promising approaches.
This thesis analyzes the method of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and stent implantation in order to evaluate its advantages and disadvantages. The focus is on addressing the following research questions:
What risks occur in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and how can they be minimized?
How can future stents be designed to optimally improve patient care?
Description
The work begins with an overview of the cardiovascular system and coronary heart disease (CHD). It then examines different types of stents with respect to their functionality, development, advantages, disadvantages, and risks. Subsequently, the phase-field model is analyzed in detail as a method for predicting corrosion processes. The thesis concludes with a discussion of future perspectives, including the idea of patient-specific stents manufactured via 3D printing, as a possible approach to improving individualized treatment in the future.
Keywords
phase-field model for corrosion and degradation in bioresorbable stents