Crush resistance simulation of a self-expanding polymer microstent for the treatment of Fallopian tube occlusions

Abstract

Biodegradable polymer microstents represent a promising approach for minimally invasive treatment of proximal Fallopian tube occlusions but require reliable prediction of their mechanical performance during implantation and in situ loading. In this study, three medicalgrade polymers - poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), poly(L-lactide-coglycolide) (PLGA) and poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLLA-co-CL) - were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and uniaxial tensile testing to derive material parameters for finite element simulations. Based on bilinear and multilinear material models, the crush resistance of a selfexpanding polymer microstent was evaluated at 50% diameter reduction. The simulations revealed pronounced materialdependent differences in structural response, with PLLA providing the highest radial resistance, PLGA showing similarly high stiffness, and PLLA-co-CL exhibiting increased deformability. The presented workflow demonstrates how experimentally derived material parameters enable simulationbased evaluation of biodegradable microstent performance and support material selection as well as design optimization for temporary tubal implants.