Research into next-generation materials is crucial for addressing complex mechanical challenges, leading scientists to explore auxetic structures that expand laterally when stretched, unlike traditional materials. This study aims to address the gap in the design and performance evaluation of hybrid auxetic stents for vascular applications, focusing on their mechanical properties and potential advantages over conventional stents. A new auxetic unit cell was designed, integrating arrowhead and missing rib geometries. The structure was fabricated using fused filament fabrication 3D printing, a cost-effective method suitable for rapid prototyping. The mechanical properties of the stents were examined through finite element analysis and experimental tests, evaluating parameters such as foreshortening, expansion, recoil, dog-boning, and normalized surface area. The results revealed significant improvements in the performance of the newly designed stents compared to the non-auxetic stents. Notably, the optimum stent exhibited a foreshortening value of 3.27 %, an expansion of 9.03 %, a recoil of 2.43 %, a dog-boning value of 5.77 %, and a normalized surface area of 1.65 mm, indicating balanced and enhanced mechanical properties. The findings highlight the auxetic stent's ability to maintain structural integrity under physiological conditions, reduce shortcomings associated with traditional stents, and provide better adaptability to dynamic anatomical structures. This study demonstrates the feasibility and potential of auxetic designs in stent applications, offering valuable insights into optimizing stent performance. The proposed auxetic structures present a promising avenue for future research and development in medical implants, contributing to improved patient outcomes and expanding the applications of auxetic materials in the biomedical field.
