[Physical properties of Strecker stents].

Strecker stent is a balloon-expandable metallic stent that is made of knitted tantalum wire mesh in order to Maintain flexibility. Therefore, the prosthesis is well suited to irregular and tortuous tube organs. We performed several physical experiments using 8 mm and 6 mm diameter stents made of 0.1 mm diameter wire filament. The bearing power of the 8 mm diameter stent against the circumferential compression pressure was divided into two groups, that is, 77-100% and under 66% of expansile rate. The capacity bearing the circumferential compression pressure of the latter group was greater than that of the former. Further, the bearing power of the 6 mm diameter stent was greater than that of the 56% expansile rate of the 8 mm diameter stent. The smaller the expansile rate of the stent, the smaller the minimum radius of curvature within the limits of the stent's plastic. To evaluate the suitability of the stent in clinical use, we made two projections on the inner surface of rubber tubes, and the stents were placed into the rubber tubes at different expansile rates. We evaluated the degree of contact of the stents against the rubber wall by taking soft X-ray photographs. The stents showed good suitability under the condition of incomplete expansion. For the above reasons, we concluded that, from the view-point of bearing power, the stent should be placed in the full expansile state. From the viewpoint of contact against the vessel wall, the stent should be placed in the incomplete expansile state.