Segmented spine

• US 20070073382A1
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lenz, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,722,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.150
• 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 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91591 Locking connectors, e.g. using male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped

Abstract

A stent comprises a plurality of serpentine bands. Each serpentine band has alternating peak regions and trough regions and extends about substantially the entire circumference of the stent. At least one of the serpentine bands has a spline extending therefrom toward a serpentine band adjacent thereto. Serpentine bands which are adjacent one another are connected one to the other.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A stent comprising:

a plurality of serpentine bands having alternating peaks and troughs including peaks having connectors extending therefrom and troughs having connectors extending therefrom, each connector extending to an adjacent serpentine baud, each serpentine band including unconnected peaks and unconnected troughs which do not have connectors extending therefrom; and

a spline;

wherein a first serpentine band is connected to a second serpentine band by a connector that spans trough-to-trough; and

the spline extends from a first unconnected trough of the first serpentine band towards a first connected peak of the second serpentine band, the spline separated from the first connected peak by a gap.

29. The stent of claim 28, wherein the gap is less than one-third of the distance between the first unconnected trough and the first connected peak.

30. The stent of claim 28, comprising a third serpentine band and a connector that spans between the first connected peak of the second serpentine band and a peak of the third serpentine band.

31. The stent of claim 28, wherein a length of the spline is oriented in a stent longitudinal direction.

32. The stent of claim 28, further comprising a second spline extending from a second unconnected trough of the first serpentine band towards a second connected peak of the second serpentine band, the second spline separated from the second connected peak by a gap.

33. The stent of claim 28, further comprising a plurality of splines, each spline extending from an unconnected trough of one serpentine band towards a connected peak of an adjacent serpentine band.

34. The stent of claim 33, wherein a plurality of the splines are aligned in a stent longitudinal direction.

35. The stent of claim 28, further comprising a reciprocating spline extending from the first connected peak of the second serpentine band toward the first unconnected trough of the first serpentine band.

36. The stent of claim 28, wherein the first serpentine band comprises more peaks and troughs than the second serpentine band.

37. The stent of claim 28, wherein the second serpentine band spans a greater length of the stent than the first serpentine band.

38. A stent comprising:

a plurality of serpentine bands including first serpentine bands and second serpentine bands, each serpentine band comprising alternating struts and turns, each turn having two struts extending therefrom, the first serpentine bands shaped differently from the second serpentine bands;

a plurality of connectors, each connector spanning between a turn of a first serpentine band and a turn of a second serpentine band; and

a spline extending from a first serpentine band towards a second serpentine band, the spline separated from the second serpentine band by a gap.

39. The stent of claim 38, wherein the second serpentine bands comprise more struts and turns than the first serpentine bands.

40. The stent of claim 38, wherein the second serpentine band spans a greater length of the stent than the first serpentine band.

41. The stent of claim 38, wherein a length of the spline is oriented in a stent longitudinal direction.

42. The stent of claim 38, further comprising a reciprocating spline, the reciprocating spline extending from the turn of the second serpentine band that the spline points towards, the reciprocating spline extending toward the turn connected to the spline.

43. The stent of claim 42, wherein the spline and the reciprocating spline overlap a common stent circumference when the stent is unexpanded.

44. The stent of claim 38, wherein the first serpentine bands and the second serpentine bands alternate along the length of the stent.

45. The stent of claim 38, wherein a connector connects between an outside of a turn of a first serpentine band and an inside of a turn of a second serpentine band.

46. The stent of claim 38, wherein the spline extends from a side of a turn of the first serpentine band.

47. The stent of claim 38, wherein the turns of each serpentine band comprise alternating peaks and troughs.

48. The stent of claim 47, wherein a connector spans trough-to-trough.