Medical stents, apparatus and method for making same
First Claim
1. A medical stent, comprising:
- at least two radial rings, each of said rings being curved into peaks and valleys, and further having windings, each of said rings having both a constricted state and an expanded state corresponding to the constricted and expanded state of said windings of said stent, said constricted state being a state of said rings in which said windings are curled in shape, said expanded state being a state of said rings in which said windings are straightened such that each of said rings becomes substantially circular and of greater diameter than said ring in said constricted state; and
,longitudinal connectors, said longitudinal connectors being connected to said radial rings at rotatable joints, each of said rotatable joints being located approximately midway between the tops of said peaks and the bottoms of said valleys, said longitudinal connectors connecting said radial rings to form said stent in a cylindrical shape, said stent being flexible along substantially its entire longitudinal axis when said stent is in said constricted state, said stent being substantially rigid when said stent is expanded to said expanded state, and said stent being at least substantially the same length whether said stent is in said constricted state or in said expanded state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An expandable stent and stent graft having a small initial diameter, flexibility along its longitudinal axis prior to expansion and a large expanded and rigid Local strain on the stent material is minimized, as and after the balloon is expanded. More particularly, the stent has rotation joints having minimal strain during stent expansion. The stent is substantially the same length before and after expansion and being flexible longitudinally when constrained, it is easy to locate. A method of manufacturing stents is described comprising rotation of a tube beneath a moving film, with light passing through the film onto the tube, at selected locations. A laser scanning system for stent manufacture is also disclosed.
753 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A medical stent, comprising:
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at least two radial rings, each of said rings being curved into peaks and valleys, and further having windings, each of said rings having both a constricted state and an expanded state corresponding to the constricted and expanded state of said windings of said stent, said constricted state being a state of said rings in which said windings are curled in shape, said expanded state being a state of said rings in which said windings are straightened such that each of said rings becomes substantially circular and of greater diameter than said ring in said constricted state; and
,longitudinal connectors, said longitudinal connectors being connected to said radial rings at rotatable joints, each of said rotatable joints being located approximately midway between the tops of said peaks and the bottoms of said valleys, said longitudinal connectors connecting said radial rings to form said stent in a cylindrical shape, said stent being flexible along substantially its entire longitudinal axis when said stent is in said constricted state, said stent being substantially rigid when said stent is expanded to said expanded state, and said stent being at least substantially the same length whether said stent is in said constricted state or in said expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification