Flexible stent having a pattern formed from a sheet of material
First Claim
1. A flexible stent comprising:
- a seamless sheet of biocompatible material having a pattern in a surface of said seamless sheet, said pattern including in said seamless sheet a reinforcing member extending longitudinally therealong and a plurality of cells extending laterally from said reinforcing member, selected of said cells each being a closed cell, having a fixedly sized aperture extending through said surface of said seamless sheet and a segment extending laterally from said reinforcing member and disposed at least partially around the aperture of the cell, each segment of said selected cells being separated from any other cell in said stent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible stent having a waveform pattern formed from a sheet of biocompatible material and into a tubular shape for maintaining the patency of a lumen such as in a coronary vessel. The waveform pattern of the stent is formed from a flat sheet of malleable, biocompatible material by, for example, photochemically etching the sheet and leaving a framework or plurality of closed cells. The waveform pattern is formed into a tubular shape around a deflated, delivery catheter balloon with segments of the closed cells being interposed only overlapping a reinforcing member extending longitudinally along the stent. The stent material is treated to reduce the coefficient of friction of the material and to aid in the radial expansion of the stent with the balloon. Radiopaque markers are positioned at the ends of the stent to aid the physician in positioning the stent at an occlusion site.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A flexible stent comprising:
a seamless sheet of biocompatible material having a pattern in a surface of said seamless sheet, said pattern including in said seamless sheet a reinforcing member extending longitudinally therealong and a plurality of cells extending laterally from said reinforcing member, selected of said cells each being a closed cell, having a fixedly sized aperture extending through said surface of said seamless sheet and a segment extending laterally from said reinforcing member and disposed at least partially around the aperture of the cell, each segment of said selected cells being separated from any other cell in said stent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A flexible, tubular-shaped stent comprising:
a seamless sheet of biocompatible material having a tubular shape and a pattern in a surface of said seamless sheet, said pattern including in said surface of said seamless sheet a reinforcing member extending longitudinally therealong and a plurality of interposed closed cells extending laterally from said reinforcing member, said pattern having an overlapping state in which selected of said interposed closed cells only overlap said reinforcing member. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A flexible, tubular-shaped stent comprising:
a seamless sheet of material having a tubular shape and a pattern in a surface of said seamless sheet, said pattern including in said seamless sheet a reinforcing member extending longitudinally therealong and a plurality of interposed cells extending laterally from and including said reinforcing member, selected of said interposed cells each being a closed cell and having a fixedly sized aperture extending through said seamless sheet and defined by a first and a second segment extending laterally from said reinforcing member at a first and a second angle, respectively, and a curved segment interconnecting the first and the second segment. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A flexible, tubular-shaped stent comprising:
a seamless sheet of biocompatible material having a specified thickness and including in said seamless sheet of material a reinforcing member extending longitudinally therealong and a plurality of cells extending laterally from said reinforcing member in a surface of said seamless sheet of material, selected of said cells being a closed cell and including a fixedly sized aperture extending through said surface of said seamless sheet of material, said seamless sheet of material having a tubular shape including an overlapping state in which certain of said cells overlap said reinforcing member while none of cells overlap each other and form a combined thickness anywhere along said reinforcing member of no more than substantially twice said specified thickness of said seamless sheet of material. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A flexible stent comprising:
a seamless sheet of biocompatible material having a pattern in a surface of said seamless sheet, said pattern including in said seamless sheet a reinforcing member extending longitudinally therealong and a plurality of cells extending laterally from said reinforcing member, selected of said cells each being a closed cell, having a fixedly sized aperture extending through said surface of said seamless sheet and a segment extending laterally from said reinforcing member and disposed at least partially around the aperture of the cell, each segment of said selected cells being separated from any other segment disposed at least partially around the aperture of any other cell in said stent.
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28. A flexible stent comprising:
a sheet of biocompatible material having a pattern in a surface of said sheet, said pattern including a reinforcing member extending longitudinally therealong and a plurality of closed cells each extending laterally from said reinforcing member and having a fixedly sized aperture extending through said surface of said sheet, each of said closed cells having segments extending laterally from said reinforcing member and in combination with said reinforcing member longitudinally reinforcing the cell, each of said closed cells being separated from any other of said closed cells. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
Specification