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Alternating circumferential bridge stent design and methods for use thereof

  • US 10,092,427 B2
  • Filed: 11/04/2010
  • Issued: 10/09/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of inserting a stent, comprising:

  • inserting a stent into a vessel, the stent comprising a first section and a second section, wherein the first section is more flexible along a longitudinal axis of the stent than the second section, the first section and the second section each including;

    a plurality of expandable modules, each expandable module including a plurality of strut elements that join together at a plurality of apices; and

    a plurality of bridging modules, each bridging module including bridging elements having a constant pitch that connect only an apex of a first module with only an apex of a second module such that every apex in an expandable module is connected to an apex in an immediately adjacent expandable module by a bridging element, wherein the plurality of bridging modules are arranged to alternate along the longitudinal axis between clockwise bridging modules and counterclockwise bridging modules, the clockwise bridging modules including bridging elements that extend at a fixed clockwise angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the counterclockwise bridging modules including bridging elements that extend at a fixed counterclockwise angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein there are a greater number of bridging elements in the plurality of bridging modules around a circumference of the first section than the number of bridging elements in the plurality of bridging modules around a circumference of the second section wherein the second section is more radially stiff than the first section, the method further comprising aligning the second section with a specific region of the vessel that requires radial stiffness to counteract crushing force caused by surrounding anatomy; and

    aligning the first section with a specific region of the vessel that requires axial flexibility to accommodate surrounding anatomy.

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