Stent having adjacent elements connected by flexible webs
First Claim
1. A medical device comprising:
- at least two adjacent stent rings comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, a smaller compacted diameter prior to diametrical expansion, a larger diameter following diametrical expansion and a distance between said at least two adjacent stent rings;
wherein said medical device has a length prior to diametrical expansion;
wherein said at least two adjacent stents rings are not attached to each other by stent elements and are attached to each other by at least one polymeric web, wherein said polymeric web is formed from at least one polymeric film layer on said at least two adjacent stent rings and extending over the distance between said at least two adjacent stent rings; and
wherein said at least one polymeric web is bowed with a first portion of an outer surface of the polymeric web free of overlap with a second portion of the outer surface of the polymeric web prior to diametrical expansion of the medical device, thereby providing stored length to the medical device prior to diametrical expansion and limiting foreshortening of the medical device following diametrical expansion for deployment to less than 10% of the length of the medical device prior to diametrical expansion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stent incorporating flexible, preferably polymeric, connecting elements into the stent wherein these elements connect adjacent, spaced-apart stent elements. Preferably the spaced-apart adjacent stent elements are the result of forming the stent from a helically wound serpentine wire having space provided between adjacent windings. Other stent forms such as multiple, individual spaced-apart ring-shaped or interconnected stent elements may also be used. The connecting elements are typically web-shaped and result from creating slits or apertures in a covering of graft material applied to the stent and then, for example, applying heat to cause the slits or apertures to enlarge. The remaining graft material forms the interconnecting webs between the adjacent stent elements.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A medical device comprising:
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at least two adjacent stent rings comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, a smaller compacted diameter prior to diametrical expansion, a larger diameter following diametrical expansion and a distance between said at least two adjacent stent rings; wherein said medical device has a length prior to diametrical expansion; wherein said at least two adjacent stents rings are not attached to each other by stent elements and are attached to each other by at least one polymeric web, wherein said polymeric web is formed from at least one polymeric film layer on said at least two adjacent stent rings and extending over the distance between said at least two adjacent stent rings; and wherein said at least one polymeric web is bowed with a first portion of an outer surface of the polymeric web free of overlap with a second portion of the outer surface of the polymeric web prior to diametrical expansion of the medical device, thereby providing stored length to the medical device prior to diametrical expansion and limiting foreshortening of the medical device following diametrical expansion for deployment to less than 10% of the length of the medical device prior to diametrical expansion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification