I. IntroductionThe problem posed is to select the material and design the next generation of coronary stents, which will be used in the treatment of coronary heart disease. The final material must be commercially available, have published properties, be a solid cylinder, have a diameter of 8 mm, a length of 15 mm, be biocompatible, and meet several engineering constraints. To solve the problem, the researcher first looked at various journals and academic publications to see what types of materials are generally used in coronary stents. From this group of materials, the final selection was further narrowed by examining specific material properties using the online material properties database at www.matweb.com. From this data the final three candidates were selected. Analyzing each material and examining the cost and availability of these materials allowed the researcher to select a final material that met the established constraints. After all the research was completed, Nitinol, or nickel titanium, was selected as the best material for the next generation of coronary stents.II. AnalysisMaterial Density Elastic Modulus Yield Strength Yield Strength % Commercial Availability Biocompatibility316LVM Sandvik Bioline 8.00 g/cc 200 GPa 800 MPa 12% Alloy Wire International Yes Very GoodNb-1Zr 8.59 g/cc 68.9 GPa 241 MPa unpublished Vegas FastnerHigh-N Bar Steel 8.00 g /cc 200 GPa 1100 MPa 15% Sandvik Materials Technology Nitinol 6.45 g/cc 28 GPa 850 MPa 15.50% Sales Metalmen Yes Very good Tantalum 16.65 g/cc 186 GPa 450 MPa unpublished MarkeTech InternationalX2CrNiMnMoN22136 Steel Stainless 7.76 g/cc 209 GPa 1050 MPa 35% Online Metal Suppliers YesGold 19.32 g/cc 77.2 GPa 120 MPa......half of paper......h an oxide layer caused by immersion in nitric acid is resistant to interaction with the environment in which it is placed. All factors make Nitinol an excellent choice for making a stent.V. SynthesisNitinol is a mixture of 50% nickel and 50% titanium. Once made it must go through several steps to take shape and become biocompatible. In order for Nitinol to achieve its shape memory characteristics, it must be heat treated. Before the heat treatment begins, the wire is shaped into the desired shape, and after the heat treatment, the metal becomes stronger and will “remember” the shape. Finally, the sample must be immersed in an acid to create the oxide layer, which prevents it from interacting with the environment. Nitinol is also easily machined, which, thanks to its shape memory and oxide coating, makes it a great choice for use in medical devices.