Axially flexible stent
DCFirst Claim
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1. A stent having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, and a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a plurality of longitudinally disposed bands, wherein each band defines a generally continuous wave having a spatial frequency along a line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of links for maintaining the bands in a tubular structure, wherein the links are so disposed that any single circumferential path formed by the links is discontinuous;
such that the links and bands define an expandable structure having axial flexibility in an unexpanded configuration.
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Abstract
A stent with axial flexibility, in a preferred embodiment, has a longitudinal axis and comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed bands, wherein each band defines a generally continuous wave along a line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis. A plurality of links maintains the bands in a tubular structure. In a further embodiment of the invention, each longitudinally disposed band of the stent is connected, at a plurality of periodic locations, by a short circumferential link to an adjacent band.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A stent having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, and a longitudinal axis, comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinally disposed bands, wherein each band defines a generally continuous wave having a spatial frequency along a line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of links for maintaining the bands in a tubular structure, wherein the links are so disposed that any single circumferential path formed by the links is discontinuous; such that the links and bands define an expandable structure having axial flexibility in an unexpanded configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A stent having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, the stent further having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of longitudinally disposed bands, wherein each band defines a generally continuous wave having a spatial frequency along a line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis;
the spatial frequency of the wave associated with each of the bands being decreased in a first end region lying proximate to the first end and in a second end region lying proximate to the second end, in comparison to the spatial frequency of the wave in the intermediate section; and(b) a plurality of links for maintaining the bands in a tubular structure;
such that the links and bands define an expandable structure having axial flexibility in an unexpanded configuration. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A stent having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, and a longitudinal axis, comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinally disposed bands; and a plurality of links for maintaining the bands in a tubular structure, wherein each band is connected at a plurality of periodic locations by a circumferential link to an adjacent band, each link being axially displaced from any circumferentially adjacent link;
such that the links and bands define an expandable structure having axial flexibility in an unexpanded configuration.
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Specification