Abstract
Nitinol fatigue strain limit versus both strain amplitude (range 0.25-1.25%) and mean strain (1.0, 2.0, and 4.0%) was investigated using a tension-tension method. In order to apply the fatigue testing results to a nitinol stent and evaluate stent fatigue performance, the dog-bone style specimens were processed from the same raw material common to implantable stent manufacturing, i.e., similar nitinol tubing, surface quality, and electropolished surface. To simulate a physiological environment, the tension-tension fatigue tests were conducted in water at 37 °C. This strain-controlled fatigue test was conducted with a run-out set at 106 cycles. The fatigue strain limit at 106 cycles as well as the mean strain effect and the effects of inclusions are discussed. Fatigue results appeared in a bi-modal pattern when the strain amplitude was at a level between too high, which made all specimens to fail, and too low, which allowed all specimens to survive.
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Acknowledgments
This study was conducted as part of research in progress of a consortium of several stent manufacturers, such as SAFE Technology Limited and Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corporation, which are committed to the development of improved life prediction of nitinol devices. The fatigue data in this study are part of the consortium database which will be used to produce a damage curve assessment life prediction for nitinol.
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Lin, Z., Pike, K., Zipse, A. et al. Nitinol Fatigue Investigation on Stent-Finish Specimens Using Tension-Tension Method. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 20, 591–596 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-010-9792-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-010-9792-0