Reducing deposition of encrustation in ureteric stents by changing the stent architecture: A microfluidic-based investigation

Ureteric stents are clinically deployed to retain ureteral patency in the presence of an obstruction of the ureter lumen. Despite the fact that multiple stent designs have been researched in recent years, encrustation and biofilm-associated infections remain significant complications of ureteral stenting, potentially leading to the functional failure of the stent. It has been suggested that “inactive” side-holes of stents may act as anchoring sites for encrusting crystals, as they are associated with low wall shear stress (WSS) levels. Obstruction of side-holes due to encrustation is particularly detrimental to the function of the stent, since holes provide a path for urine to by-pass the occlusion. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop novel stents to reduce deposition of encrusting particles at side-holes. In this study, we employed a stent-on-chip microfluidic model of the stented and occluded ureter to investigate the effect of stent architecture on WSS distribution and encrustation over its surface. Variations in the stent geometry encompassed (i) the wall thickness and (ii) the shape of side-holes. Stent thickness was varied in the range 0.3-0.7 mm, while streamlined side-holes of triangular shape were evaluated (with a vertex angle in the range 45°-120°). Reducing the thickness of the stent increased WSS and thus reduced the encrustation rate at side-holes. A further improvement in performance was achieved by using side-holes with a triangular shape; notably, a 45° vertex angle showed superior performance compared to other angles investigated, resulting in a significant increase in WSS within “inactive” side-holes. In conclusion, combining the optimal stent thickness (0.3 mm) and hole vertex angle (45°) resulted in a ∼90% reduction in encrustation rate within side-holes, compared to a standard design. If translated to a full-scale ureteric stent, this optimised architecture has the potential for significantly increasing the stent lifetime while reducing clinical complications.