STENTS WITH TAPERED STRUTS

• US 20100228338A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ev3, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: ev3, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Thompson, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,034,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.160
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness

Abstract

A stent may include a stent body having a stent axis. The stent body may include structural members defining openings through the stent body. The structural members are provided with regions having different widths. The relative sizes of the widths are selected to control the length of the stent body as the stent body is radially expanded from an undeployed orientation to a deployed orientation. In one embodiment, the regions having different widths are provided by tapering the widths of selected segments of the structural member.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A stent, comprising:

a stent body having a stent axis;

the stent body including a structural member extending in an undulating pattern about a circumference of the stent body;

the structural member including a plurality of segments that extend generally longitudinally along the stent axis; and

at least some of the segments having widths that taper as the at least some segments extend longitudinally along the stent axis.