Mechanical properties of artificial tracheas composed of a mesh cylinder and a spiral stent

Much work has been done on the materials used for mesh-type artificial trac heas, but a precise mechanical evaluation of these structures has not yet b een performed. In the present study, we determined the mechanical propertie s of typical mesh-type artificial tracheas and compared them with those of native trachea. Four types of artificial trachea were made and used for the mechanical tests. The basic frame of all the specimens was composed of a m esh cylinder and a spiral stent. The specimen whose mesh was sealed with co llagen sponge showed almost the same behavior in the force-strain curve und er compression, suggesting that collagen sealing has little effect on mecha nical properties. Agreement between measured and estimated mechanical prope rties was good, especially in the low strain region, suggesting that artifi cial tracheas can be designed in terms of mechanical properties by mainly c onsidering the basic frame structure. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.