Stent

• US 20040167615A1
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lenz, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,179,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.16
• 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 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped

Abstract

A stent comprises a plurality of serpentine circumferential bands and a plurality of connector columns. Each connector column is located between two adjacent serpentine circumferential bands and comprises a plurality connector struts. Each connector strut is connected at one end to one serpentine circumferential band and at another end to another serpentine circumferential band. Each connector strut has step sections and at least one riser. Each step section extends substantially in a circumferential direction and each riser extends in a substantially longitudinal direction. The steps in a connector are connected to one another via a riser.

Claims

1. A stent comprising:

a plurality of serpentine circumferential bands, and

a plurality of connector columns, each connector column located between two adjacent serpentine circumferential bands, each connector column comprising a plurality connector struts, each connector strut connected at one end to one serpentine circumferential band and at another end to another serpentine circumferential band, each connector strut having only two step sections and at least one and no more than three risers, each step section extending substantially in a circumferential direction, each riser extending in a substantially longitudinal direction, the steps in a connector connected to one another via a riser.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein step sections which are connected to one another via a riser are separated from one another by a spacing of less than four times the width of the slanting step section.

3. The stent of claim 1 further comprising a coating.

4. The stent of claim 2 farther comprising a coating.

5. The stent of claim 3 wherein the coating comprises a drug.

6. The stent of claim 4 wherein the coating comprises a drug.

7. The stent of claim 1 wherein the step sections are slanted with respect to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stent.

8. The stent of claim 1 wherein the risers are slanted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stent.

9. A stent comprising:

a plurality of serpentine circumferential bands comprising alternating peaks and troughs, and

a plurality of connector columns, each connector column located between two adjacent circumferential bands, each connector column comprising a plurality of connector struts, the connectors struts in a connector column distributed such that between each peak on one serpentine circumferential band and a facing trough on an adjacent serpentine circumferential band there are at least three different connector struts.

10. The stent of claim 9 wherein between each peak on one serpentine circumferential band and a facing trough on an adjacent serpentine circumferential band there are only three different connector struts.

11. The stent of claim 9 wherein the connector struts are in the form of stair-steps.

12. The stent of claim 9 wherein each connector strut is substantially straight with a jog therein.

13. The stent of claim 9, each connector strut having two step sections and at least one and no more than three risers, each step section extending substantially in a circumferential direction, each riser extending in a substantially longitudinal direction, the step sections in a connector connected to one another via a riser.

14. The stent of claim 9 further comprising a coating.

15. The stent of claim 10 further comprising a coating.

16. The stent of claim 14 wherein the coating comprises a drug.

17. The stent of claim 15 wherein the coating comprises a drug.

18. The stent of claim 9 in a crimped state.

19. The stent of claim 18 wherein each connector strut contacts two circumferentially adjacent connector struts.

20. The stent of claim 18 wherein each connector strut contacts two circumferentially adjacent connector struts in locations which are between peaks of a serpentine circumferential band and facing troughs an adjacent serpentine circumferential band.

21. The stent of claim 19 wherein circumferentially adjacent connector struts which contact one another define a substantially parallelogram shaped spaced bounded by two risers and two step sections.

22. The stent of claim 21 further comprising a coating containing a drug.

23. The stent of claim 9 wherein the step sections are slanted with respect to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stent.

24. The stent of claim 9 wherein the risers are slanted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stent.