Characterizing the Compressive Resistance and Recovery of Shape Memory Polymer Cylinders

Each year, approximately 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Despite improved preventative screening programs, AAAs are still listed as the cause of death for an estimated 15,000 Americans each year [1–2]. Despite the relatively low mortality rate for open surgical repair of AAA, the minimally-invasive nature of endovascular repair has made this treatment extremely popular. Our research team seeks to develop the next generation of endovascular stent-grafts which resist the two main modes of graft failure — endoleak and graft migration [3–5]. We believe that such a stent-graft can be made from novel smart polymer formulations. Towards this end, shape memory polymer (SMP) cylindrical tubes were fabricated and tested for their recovery force.