Axially flexible stent
First Claim
1. An expandable stent in an unexpanded configuration having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, the stent further having a longitudinal axis and providing axial flexibility along the length of the stent, 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, the spatial frequency at the first and second ends being decreased 0-50% with respect to the spatial frequency of the intermediate section; 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.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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
7 Claims
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1. An expandable stent in an unexpanded configuration having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, the stent further having a longitudinal axis and providing axial flexibility along the length of the stent, 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, the spatial frequency at the first and second ends being decreased 0-50% with respect to the spatial frequency of the intermediate section; 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An expandable stent in an unexpanded configuration having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, the stent further having a longitudinal axis and providing axial flexibility along the length of the stent, 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, wherein the longitudinally disposed bands have a width, the width of the bands at the first and second ends being increased in the range of 0%-150% with respect to the width of the bands in the intermediate section; 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. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. An expandable stent in an unexpanded configuration having first and second ends with an intermediate section therebetween, the stent further having a longitudinal axis and providing axial flexibility along the length of the stent, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of longitudinally disposed bands numbering in the range of 8-12, the longitudinally disposed bands having a width, the width of the bands at the first and second ends being increased in the range of 0%-150% with respect to the width of the bands in the intermediate section, wherein each band defines a generally continuous wave having a spatial frequency along a line segment parallel to the longitudinal axis, the spatial frequency at the first and second ends being decreased 0-50% with respect to the spatial frequency of the intermediate section; and (b) a plurality of links for maintaining the bands in a tubular structure and forming a plurality of slots, wherein (i) each pair of bands comprises about 6-10 slots with a wave amplitude of 1/4-1/10 of a slot, (ii) the links are so disposed that any single circumferential path formed by the links is discontinuous.
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Specification