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Articulated expandable intraluminal stent

  • US 5,911,732 A
  • Filed: 03/10/1997
  • Issued: 06/15/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for implanting a stent within a body passageway comprising the steps of:

  • utilizing a thin-walled, tubular member as the stent, the tubular member having a plurality of slots comprising longitudinal struts and circumferential struts;

    disposing the stent upon a catheter;

    inserting the stent and catheter within the body passageway by catherization of said body passageway;

    expanding and deforming the stent at a desired location within the body passageway by expanding a portion of the catheter associated with the stent to force the stent radially outwardly into contact with the body passageway, the stent being deformed beyond its elastic limit; and

    wherein the slots are circumferentially spaced from adjacent slots and at least some of said slots have a closed perimeter, such that said closed perimeter slots contain a pair of said longitudinal struts connected by a pair of said circumferential struts; and

    said longitudinal struts having variable length, and circumferentially disposed ones of said slots are uniformly spaced from adjacent slots along the longitudinal axis of the tubular member.

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