Design of an apparatus mimicking in vivo coronary cardiovascular dynamics inducing electrochemical fretting of a stent

Cardiovascular stents are frequently used in the treatment of atherosclerosis. These stents are commonly comprised of metal and are naturally surrounded by an oxide layer. When multiple stents are placed in the body the electrochemical phenomenon of fretting corrosion may occur through the continuous pulsing of the artery. The goal of this study will be to determine if a correlation exists between the mechanical deformation (fretting) that a stent encounters while in an artery and the open circuit potential of a stent (a measurement of fretting corrosion). To accomplish this, a physiologically-accurate physical model of a cardiovascular artery will be designed, and the voltage of the stent while in situ will be collected and analyzed.