Prior to implantation, Nitinol-based transcatheter endovascular devices are subject to a complex thermo-mechanical pre-strain associated with constraint onto a delivery catheter, device sterilization, and final deployment. Though such large thermo-mechanical excursions are known to impact the microstructural and mechanical properties of Nitinol, their effect on fatigue properties is still not well understood. The present study investigated the effects of large thermo-mechanical pre-strains on the fatigue of pseudoelastic Nitinol wire using fully reversed rotary bend fatigue (RBF) experiments. Electropolished Nitinol wires were subjected to a 0%, 8% or 10% bending pre-strain and RBF testing at 0.3-1.5% strain amplitudes for up to 10(8) cycles. The imposition of 8% or 10% bending pre-strain resulted in residual set in the wire. Large pre-strains also significantly reduced the fatigue life of Nitinol wires below 0.8% strain amplitude. While 0% and 8% pre-strain wires exhibited distinct low-cycle and high-cycle fatigue regions, reaching run out at 10(8) cycles at 0.6% and 0.4% strain amplitude, respectively, 10% pre-strain wires continued to fracture at less than 10(5) cycles, even at 0.3% strain amplitude. Furthermore, over 70% fatigue cracks were found to initiate on the compressive pre-strain surface in pre-strained wires. In light of the texture-dependent tension-compression asymmetry in Nitinol, this reduction in fatigue life and preferential crack initiation in pre-strained wires is thought to be attributed to compressive pre-strain-induced plasticity and tensile residual stresses as well as the formation of martensite variants. Despite differences in fatigue life, SEM revealed that the size, shape and morphology of the fatigue fracture surfaces were comparable across the pre-strain levels. Further, the mechanisms underlying fatigue were found to be similar; despite large differences in cycles to failure across strain amplitudes and pre-strain levels, cracks initiated from surface inclusions in nearly all wires. Compressive pre-strain-induced damage may accelerate such crack initiation, thereby reducing fatigue life. The results of the present study indicate that large compressive pre-strains are detrimental to the fatigue properties of Nitinol, and, taken together, the findings underscore the importance of accounting for thermo-mechanical history in the design and testing of wire-based percutaneous implants.
There are approximately 65,000 patients on sustaining hemodialysis in the United States for renal disease. While hemodialysis is traditionally performed three times weekly, several studies have shown improved patient results with increased treatment frequency and shorter treatment time. A more portable hemodialysis treatment would represent an improvement over current treatments by giving patients the ability to dialyze at their convenience, and more often for shorter treatment times. A prototype wearable artificial kidney has been developed by Gura et al.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.