Multi-Segment Modular Stent And Methods For Manufacturing Stents
First Claim
1. A modular stent having an unexpanded configuration and an expanded tubular configuration, said stent comprising at least one pair of modules,one of said pair of stent modules comprising a first Type A module including,an intermediate segment consisting of a Z-segment;
- a pair of end segments connected to respective longitudinal ends of said intermediate segment, each end segment consisting of a closed-cell segment;
each closed-cell segment consisting solely of at least one annular closed-cell ring formed by struts defining a plurality of closed-cell elements having a plurality of proximal and distal peaks and valleys;
each Z-segment consisting solely of at least one annular Z-ring formed by struts defining an elongate member including a plurality of wave-shape portions having a plurality of proximal and distal peaks and valleys;
and wherein the other of said pair of stent modules comprising a first Type B module including,an intermediate segment consisting of a said closed-cell segment; and
a pair of end segments connected to respective longitudinal ends of said intermediate segment, each end segment consisting of a said Z-segment; and
whereinan end segment of said first Type A module is connected to an end segment of said first Type B module.
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Abstract
A modular stent comprises at least one stent module including an intermediate segment consisting of one of either a closed-cell segment or a Z-segment and a pair of end segments connected to respective longitudinal ends of said intermediate segment, each end segment consisting of the other of said closed-cell segment or Z-segment, each closed-cell segment consisting solely of at least one annular closed-cell ring and each Z-segment consisting solely of at least one annular Z-ring. A method of manufacturing a stent form a small diameter tube includes laser-cutting the small diameter tube to define a plurality of longitudinally adjacent Z-rings, providing interconnector portions of said tube integrally joining facing aligned or offset Z-rings, expanding the small diameter tube, and removing predetermined interconnector portions from the expanded tube to provide the predetermined desired arrangement of interconnected closed-cell rings and Z-rings.
170 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A modular stent having an unexpanded configuration and an expanded tubular configuration, said stent comprising at least one pair of modules,
one of said pair of stent modules comprising a first Type A module including, an intermediate segment consisting of a Z-segment; -
a pair of end segments connected to respective longitudinal ends of said intermediate segment, each end segment consisting of a closed-cell segment; each closed-cell segment consisting solely of at least one annular closed-cell ring formed by struts defining a plurality of closed-cell elements having a plurality of proximal and distal peaks and valleys; each Z-segment consisting solely of at least one annular Z-ring formed by struts defining an elongate member including a plurality of wave-shape portions having a plurality of proximal and distal peaks and valleys; and wherein the other of said pair of stent modules comprising a first Type B module including, an intermediate segment consisting of a said closed-cell segment; and a pair of end segments connected to respective longitudinal ends of said intermediate segment, each end segment consisting of a said Z-segment; and
whereinan end segment of said first Type A module is connected to an end segment of said first Type B module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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- 5. A modular stent as recited in claim 5 wherein in each of said closed-cell rings, the facing aligned peaks of every pair of facing aligned peaks are directly connected to each other.
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25. A modular stent as recited in claim 49 wherein:
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said intermediate Type B module consists solely of an intermediate closed-cell segment consisting solely of a single closed-cell ring, and a pair of end Z-segments consisting solely of four Z-rings; and wherein each of said proximal and distal Type A modules consists solely of an intermediate Z-segment consisting solely of four Z-rings, and a pair of end closed-cell segments, each consisting solely of a single closed-cell ring. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification