Longitudinally flexible stent
First Claim
1. A stent for holding open a blood vessel comprising:
- a plurality of first loop containing sections arranged generally in a circumferential direction and spaced apart from one another, said first loop containing section having first loops and second loops, wherein said first loops open in a first direction and said second loops open in a second direction opposite to the first direction, said first loops and second loops occurring at a first frequency, and wherein adjacent first loops in the first loop containing sections are staggered around the circumference of the stent;
a plurality of second loop containing sections, said second loop containing sections having first loops and second loops wherein said first loops open in a first direction and said second loops open in a second direction opposite to the first direction, said first and second loops in said second loop containing sections occurring at a second frequency that is higher than said first frequency, said second loop containing sections consecutively alternating with said first loop containing sections for at least two repetitions and periodically coupled to said first loop containing sections along a longitudinal axis of the stent directly at points of connection at curved portions of said first and second loop containing sections, wherein said second loop containing sections provide longitudinal flexibility of the stent, and wherein adjacent first loops in the second loop containing sections are staggered around the circumference of the stent.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An intravascular stent especially suited for implanting in curved arterial portion. The stent retains longitudinal flexibility after expansion. The stent is formed of intertwined meander patterns forming triangular cells. The cells are adapted to provide radial support, and also provide longitudinal flexibility after expansion. The cells also provide increase coverage of a vessel wall. The stent has a reduced crimped profile due to the differing lengths of adjacent structural members within the cells, resulting in loops which are not aligned around the circumference of the stent. Also, this stent may contain a second type of square cells, which are adapted predominately to minimize flaring of the stent ends and to provide additional stiffness.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A stent for holding open a blood vessel comprising:
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a plurality of first loop containing sections arranged generally in a circumferential direction and spaced apart from one another, said first loop containing section having first loops and second loops, wherein said first loops open in a first direction and said second loops open in a second direction opposite to the first direction, said first loops and second loops occurring at a first frequency, and wherein adjacent first loops in the first loop containing sections are staggered around the circumference of the stent; a plurality of second loop containing sections, said second loop containing sections having first loops and second loops wherein said first loops open in a first direction and said second loops open in a second direction opposite to the first direction, said first and second loops in said second loop containing sections occurring at a second frequency that is higher than said first frequency, said second loop containing sections consecutively alternating with said first loop containing sections for at least two repetitions and periodically coupled to said first loop containing sections along a longitudinal axis of the stent directly at points of connection at curved portions of said first and second loop containing sections, wherein said second loop containing sections provide longitudinal flexibility of the stent, and wherein adjacent first loops in the second loop containing sections are staggered around the circumference of the stent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An expandable stent consisting essentially of:
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a plurality of first circumferential bands containing a pattern of loops at a first frequency, said pattern of loops comprising first loops alternating with second loops wherein adjacent first loops of the first circumferential bands are staggered; a plurality of second circumferential bands containing a pattern of loops at a second frequency higher than said first frequency, said pattern of loops comprising first loops alternating with second loops, said second circumferential bands consecutively alternating with said first circumferential bands along a longitudinal axis of the stent for at least two repetitions and periodically coupled thereto directly at points of connection at curved portions of said first and second circumferential bands to form cells, and wherein the adjacent first loops of the second circumferential bands are staggered. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A stent comprising:
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a plurality of first circumferential bands containing a pattern of loops at a first frequency comprising first loops alternating with second loops and wherein adjacent first loops in the first circumferential bands are staggered; a plurality of second circumferential bands containing a pattern of loops at a second frequency higher than said first frequency, consecutively alternating with said first circumferential bands for at least two repetitions and periodically coupled directly at curved portions of said first and second circumferential bands to form cells such that said first circumferential bands are joined together through said second circumferential bands without connection directly between said first circumferential bands, wherein the loops of the first circumferential bands are out of phase with each other, each cell including two cycles of the first circumferential band and three cycles of the second circumferential band; and
wherein the second circumferential bands comprise first loops and second loops, said first loops alternating with said second loops and wherein adjacent first loops of the second circumferential band are staggered. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A uniform flexible expandable stent consisting essentially of a plurality of triangular cells, each triangular cell including:
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a) a first member having a first end and a second end; b) a second member having a first end and a second end; c) a third member having a first end and a second end; d) a fourth member having a first end and a second end;
the first end of the first member communicating with the first end of the second member, the second end of the second member communicating with the second end of the third member, and the first end of the third member communicating with the first end of the fourth member;e) the first member and the second member with the curved portion at their ends forming a first loop; f) the third member and the fourth member with the curved portion at their ends forming a second loop; g) a fifth member having a first end and a second end; h) a sixth member having a first end and a second end; i) a seventh member having a first end and a second end; j) an eighth member having a first end and a second end; k) a ninth member having a first end and a second end; and l) a tenth member having a first end and a second end;
the first end of the fifth member coupled to the second end of the first member, the second end of the fifth member communicating with the second end of the sixth member, the first end of the sixth member communicating with the first end of the seventh member, the second end of the seventh member communicating with the second end of the eighth member, the first end of the eighth member communicating with the first end of the ninth member, the second end of the ninth member communicating with the second end of the tenth member, and the first end of the tenth member coupled to the second end of the fourth member;m) the fifth member and the sixth member with the curved portion at their ends forming a third loop; n) the seventh member and the eighth member with the curved portion at their ends forming a fourth loop; and o) the ninth member and the tenth member with the curved portion at their ends forming a fifth loop, such that the first and the fourth members are joined together through the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth and the tenth members without connection directly between first and fourth members; p) the first and second members are different lengths;
the second and third members are different lengths;
the third and fourth members are different lengths;
the fifth and sixth members are different lengths;
the sixth and seventh members are different lengths;
the seventh and eighth members are different lengths;
the eighth and ninth members are different lengths; and
wherein, ninth and tenth members are different lengths. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification