Variable strength stent

• US 6,602,284 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Cox, Daniel L., Limon, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Hieu
• Application Number:
  US10/071,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.1, 623/1.15, 623/1.16, 623/1.17, 623/1.18, 623/1.19, 623/1.2, 623/1.21, 623/1.22
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness

Abstract

An expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, is disclosed. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common longitudinal stent axis and interconnected by one or more interconnecting members placed so that the stent is flexible in the longitudinal direction. The strength of the stent at a center section or at either end can be varied by increasing the mass of the struts forming each cylindrical element in that center section or end section relative to the lower mass struts in the remaining sections of the stent. Increasing the mass of the struts can be accomplished by, for a given strut thickness, increasing the width of the strut, or increasing the length of a cylindrical element.

Claims

1. A longitudinally flexible and unexpanded stent, for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from an unexpanded condition to an expanded condition, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending around a longitudinal stent axis, wherein the plurality of cylindrical elements are arranged along the longitudinal stent axis and have a first end section, a second end section, and a center section therebetween;

each cylindrical element formed in a generally serpentine wave pattern and having generally straight portions;

a plurality of interconnecting members extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal stent axis connecting the cylindrical elements together;

at least one of the cylindrical elements and one of the interconnecting members being configured to form a W-shaped member and at least one of the cylindrical elements and one of the interconnecting members being configured to form a Y-shaped member;

wherein at least some of the interconnecting members have lengths longer than at least some axial lengths of the cylindrical elements and at least some of the interconnecting members have lengths shorter than at least some axial lengths of the cylindrical elements;

wherein the generally straight portions of a cylindrical element in at least one of the first end section and the second end section have greater length than the generally straight portions of at least one cylindrical element in the center section; and

the generally straight portions in the first end section and the second end section have widths that are wider than the generally straight portions in the center section.