Intravascular stents
First Claim
1. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, comprising:
- a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending about a longitudinal stent axis and being substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;
wherein the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements are arranged in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis and form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions, the valley portions including alternating double-curved portions and Y-shaped portions, and the peak portions including alternating, inverted double-curved portions and inverted Y-shaped portions; and
a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements and connecting the adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members being connected to the alternating double-curved portions to connect a cylindrical element to the Y-shaped portion of an adjacent cylindrical element, and interconnecting members being connected to the alternating, inverted double-curved portion to connect a cylindrical element to the alternating, inverted Y-shaped portion of an adjacent cylindrical element.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Stent designs for use in vessels, such as the carotid and coronary arteries, are disclosed. The stents consist of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common longitudinal stent axis and interconnected by one or more interconnecting members placed so that the stent is flexible in a longitudinal direction. The cylindrical elements form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis between alternating valley portions and peak portions. The interconnecting members are attached to the double-curved portions to connect a cylindrical element to an adjacent cylindrical element and interconnecting members are attached to the inverted double-curved portions to connect the cylindrical element to the other adjacent cylindrical element. The stent designs include both a six crown and an eight crown stent which exhibit flexibility and sufficient radial strength to support the vessel.
37 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, comprising:
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a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending about a longitudinal stent axis and being substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;
wherein the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements are arranged in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis and form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions, the valley portions including alternating double-curved portions and Y-shaped portions, and the peak portions including alternating, inverted double-curved portions and inverted Y-shaped portions; and
a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements and connecting the adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members being connected to the alternating double-curved portions to connect a cylindrical element to the Y-shaped portion of an adjacent cylindrical element, and interconnecting members being connected to the alternating, inverted double-curved portion to connect a cylindrical element to the alternating, inverted Y-shaped portion of an adjacent cylindrical element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 37)
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27. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, comprising:
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a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending about a longitudinal stent axis and being substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;
wherein the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements are arranged in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis and form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions, the valley portions including alternating double-curved portions and Y-shaped portions and the peak portions including alternating, inverted double-curved portions and inverted Y-shaped portions; and
a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements and connecting the adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members being connected to the alternating double-curved portion and the alternating, inverted double-curved portion to connect the cylindrical element to each adjacent cylindrical element. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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38. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, comprising:
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a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending about a longitudinal stent axis and being substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;
wherein the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements are arranged in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis and form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions;
the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements alternate between a pattern of double-curved portions, inverted double-curved portions, and inverted Y-shaped portions, to form the body of the stent; and
a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements and connecting adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members of each alternating, inverted double-curved portion within each cylindrical element forming a continuous spine extending from one end of the stent to the other. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, comprising:
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a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending about a longitudinal stent axis and being substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;
wherein the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements are arranged in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis and form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions, the valley portions including alternating Y-shaped portions and double-curved portions, and the peak portions including alternating, inverted Y-shaped portions and inverted double-curved portions; and
a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements and connecting adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members of each double-curved portion within each cylindrical element forming a continuous spine extending from one end of the stent to the other. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of making a longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, wherein each cylindrical element has a circumference extending around a longitudinal stent axis and is substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;
arranging the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis;
forming a serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions, the valley portions including alternating double-curved portions and Y-shaped portions and the peak portions including alternating, inverted double-curved portions and inverted Y-shaped portions;
providing a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements; and
connecting the adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members being connected to the double-curved portions to connect a cylindrical element to the Y-shaped portion of an adjacent cylindrical element and interconnecting members being connected to the alternating, inverted double-curved portion to connect the cylindrical element to the alternating, inverted Y-shaped portion of an adjacent cylindrical element. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification