Flexible stent
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
- a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and
a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member;
wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state;
wherein the distance between at least some adjacent helical elements in the compressed state varies along the length of said adjacent helical elements and is in a range from zero and about the maximum distance between adjacent helical elements in the deployed state; and
wherein said stent in the compressed state is longer than in the deployed state;
a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements, said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member, said strut portion is wound about said axis of said stent with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and
wherein in the deployed state the elongated elements are substantially parallel and said helical strut member and said helical strut elements define a cylinder having a substantially constant diameter.
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Abstract
A flexible stent structure includes a plurality of axially spaced strut portions defining generally tubular axial segments of the stent and constructed to be radially expandable. A helical portion is interposed axially between two strut portions and has a plurality of helical elements connected between circumferentially spaced locations on the two strut portions. The helical elements extend helically between those locations and the length of a helical element is sufficient so that, when the stent is in a radially expanded state, it can simultaneously withstand repeated axial compression or expansion and bending.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
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a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member; wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state; wherein the distance between at least some adjacent helical elements in the compressed state varies along the length of said adjacent helical elements and is in a range from zero and about the maximum distance between adjacent helical elements in the deployed state; and wherein said stent in the compressed state is longer than in the deployed state; a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements, said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member, said strut portion is wound about said axis of said stent with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and wherein in the deployed state the elongated elements are substantially parallel and said helical strut member and said helical strut elements define a cylinder having a substantially constant diameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
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a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member; a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements, said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member, said strut portion is wound about said axis of said stent with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member;
said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements, said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion winding; andwherein said strut portion is wound about said axis of said stent having a number of windings less than about ¼
of the total number of windings of said helical strut member. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
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a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member; a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements, said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member, said strut portion is wound about said axis of said stent with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member;
said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements, said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion winding; andwherein the number of said helical strut elements in one rotation of said strut portion winding is greater than the number of said helical strut elements in one rotation of said helical strut member winding. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
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a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member; wherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state; wherein in the compressed state the distance between at least some adjacent helical elements varies along the length of said adjacent helical elements and is in a range from zero and about the maximum distance between adjacent helical elements in the deployed state; wherein in the deployed state the elongated elements are substantially parallel; and
said helical strut member and said helical strut elements define a cylinder having a substantially constant diameter;wherein said stent in the compressed state is longer than in the deployed state. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
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a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member; a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements;
said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member;
wherein said strut portion is wound with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and
a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member;
said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements;
said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion windingwherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state; wherein the minimum angle of said helical elements with the longitudinal axis of the stent in the compressed state is less than the minimum angle of helical elements with the longitudinal axis of the stent in the deployed state; and wherein the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the compressed state is substantially the same as the spacing between the subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the deployed state.
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28. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
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a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member; a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements;
said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member;wherein said strut portion is wound with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and
a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member;
said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements;
said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion windingwherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state; wherein said stent in the compressed state is longer than in the deployed state; wherein the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the compressed state is greater than the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the deployed state.
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29. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
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a helical strut member helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of helical strut elements; and a plurality of individual helical elements helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction of said helical strut member with said helical elements extending between and interconnecting points on subsequent windings of said helical strut member; a strut portion helically wound about an axis of said stent, said strut portion comprising a plurality of helical strut elements;
said strut portion connected to an end of said helical strut member, said strut portion is a helical continuation of the winding of said helical strut member;
wherein said strut portion is wound with an acute angle formed between a plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and said strut portion winding that is smaller than an acute angle formed between the plane perpendicular to said axis of said stent and the winding of said helical strut member; and
a transitional helical portion interconnected between said strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member;
said transitional helical portion comprising transitional helical elements;
said transitional helical elements progress helically connecting strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said helical strut member with strut peaks of some of said helical strut elements of said strut portion, said strut peaks of said helical strut element of said strut portion define said acute angle of said strut portion windingwherein said helical elements are elongated elements both in the compressed state and deployed state; wherein the distance between at least some adjacent helical elements in the compressed state varies along the length of said adjacent helical elements and is in a range from zero and about the maximum distance between adjacent helical elements in the deployed state; and wherein the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the compressed state is substantially the same to the spacing between subsequent windings of said helical strut member in the deployed state.
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Specification