Intravascular stent

• US 20020161430A1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Jang, G. David
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0018 differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility

Abstract

A stent in a non-expanded state has a first column expansion strut pair. A plurality of the first column expansion strut pair form a first expansion column. A plurality of second column expansion strut pair form a second expansion column. A plurality of first serial connecting struts form a first connecting strut column that couples the first expansion column to the second expansion column. The first expansion column, the second expansion column, and the first connecting strut column form a plurality of geometric cells. At least a portion of the plurality are asymmetrical geometric cells.

Claims

1. A tubular stent with a plurality of expansion columns and connector columns arranged along a longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane, comprising:

a plurality of expansion columns having expansion strut pairs, the plurality of expansion columns including an unbroken first expansion column made of a plurality of first expansion strut pairs each having a first expansion strut and an adjacent second expansion strut, and a second unbroken expansion column made of a plurality of second expansion strut pairs each having a first expansion strut and an adjacent second expansion strut, wherein expansion strut pairs of each expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns have geometric configurations similar to the first expansion column or the second expansion column; and

a plurality of connector columns that couple adjacent expansion columns, the plurality of connector columns including a first connector column that couples the first expansion column to the second expansion column, wherein each connector column of the plurality of connector columns having at least a first connector strut, and each at least first connector strut has a portion that is a shaped connector strut structure with a curvilinear or angled structural configuration.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes at least one radius of curvature.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes radii of curvatures.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes at least one curvature of loop.

5. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes curvature of loops.

6. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes reversing curvatures.

7. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes reversing curvature of loops.

8. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes repeating curvatures.

9. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes repeating curvature of loops.

10. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes an angled bend.

11. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes an angled bend and a radius of curvature.

12. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes angled bends.

13. The stent of claim 1, wherein the shaped connector structure includes angled bends and radii of curvatures.

14. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts in the first expansion column is larger than a width of expansion struts in the second expansion column.

15. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts in the first expansion column is smaller than a width of expansion struts in the second expansion column.

16. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts in an expansion column in the plurality of expansion columns is different from a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column in the plurality of expansion columns.

17. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts in an expansion column in the plurality of expansion columns is smaller than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column in the plurality of expansion columns.

18. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts in an expansion column in the plurality of expansion columns is larger than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column in the plurality of expansion columns.

19. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent has first and second end expansion columns, wherein a width of expansion struts in at least one of the first or second end expansion columns is smaller than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

20. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent has first and second end expansion columns, wherein a width of expansion struts in at least one of the first or second end expansion columns is larger than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

21. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent has first and second end expansion columns, wherein a width of expansion struts in the first and second end expansion columns is larger than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

22. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent has first and second end expansion columns, wherein a width of expansion struts in the first and second end expansion columns is smaller than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

23. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts of at least one expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns in a middle portion of the stent is larger than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

24. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts of at least one expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns in a middle portion of the stent is smaller than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

25. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts in at least some of the expansion columns in a middle portion of the stent is larger than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

26. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of expansion struts in at least some of the expansion columns in a middle portion of the stent is smaller than a width of expansion struts in a different expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns.

27. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of some portions of expansion struts in an expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns is larger than other portions of expansion struts in the same expansion column.

28. The stent of claim 1, wherein a width of some portions of expansion struts in an expansion column of the plurality of expansion columns is smaller than other portions of expansion struts in the same expansion column.

29. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent is a balloon expandable stent.

30. The stent of claim 1, wherein the stent is self-expanding stent.