Ultraflexible open cell stent
First Claim
1. A stent in the form of a thin-walled, lace-like, cylindrical tube with a longitudinal axis, the stent comprising:
- a multiplicity of interior circumferential sets of strut members and one end circumferential set of strut members at each of the two longitudinal ends of the stent;
each interior circumferential set of strut members including at least one connected strut member consisting of a long diagonal section having a longitudinal length L1 fixedly attached along a connecting line to a connected curved section, each connected curved section being joined by means of a longitudinal connecting link to one curved section of an adjacent circumferential set of strut members;
each interior set of strut members also including at least one unconnected strut member consisting of a short diagonal section having a longitudinal length L2 fixedly joined to an unconnected curved section; and
the stent being further characterized by having the length L1 of the long diagonal section being longer than the length L2 of the short diagonal section, i.e.;
L1>
L2, so that the unconnected strut members have a decreased tendency for flaring outward as the stent is advanced though a curved vessel.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an open cell stent that has adjacent sets of circumferential struts connected by means of highly flexible, undulating, connecting struts. To decrease outward flaring of the circumferential struts when the pre-deployed stent is advanced through highly curved vessels, each unconnected strut of the sets of circumferential struts has a decreased longitudinal length as compared to the longitudinal length of the circumferential struts that are connected by the flexible connecting struts. To decrease the propensity for outward flaring of the end set of circumferential struts, the longitudinal length of the end set of circumferential struts is shorter than the longitudinal length of the interior set of circumferential struts. Also, the attachment point of the flexible connecting struts is off the center of the curved sections of the circumferential struts, thus also decreasing the tendency for outward flaring of the end set of circumferential struts.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A stent in the form of a thin-walled, lace-like, cylindrical tube with a longitudinal axis, the stent comprising:
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a multiplicity of interior circumferential sets of strut members and one end circumferential set of strut members at each of the two longitudinal ends of the stent;
each interior circumferential set of strut members including at least one connected strut member consisting of a long diagonal section having a longitudinal length L1 fixedly attached along a connecting line to a connected curved section, each connected curved section being joined by means of a longitudinal connecting link to one curved section of an adjacent circumferential set of strut members;
each interior set of strut members also including at least one unconnected strut member consisting of a short diagonal section having a longitudinal length L2 fixedly joined to an unconnected curved section; and
the stent being further characterized by having the length L1 of the long diagonal section being longer than the length L2 of the short diagonal section, i.e.;
L1>
L2, so that the unconnected strut members have a decreased tendency for flaring outward as the stent is advanced though a curved vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification