Longitudinally flexible stent
First Claim
1. A uniformly flexible expandable stent consisting essentially of a plurality of triangular cells, each triangular cell including:
- a) a first substantially linear member having a first end and a second end;
b) a second substantially linear member having a first end and a second end;
c) a third substantially linear member having a first end and a second end;
d) a fourth substantially linear 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 a curved portion at their first ends forming a first loop opening toward the inside of the cell;
f) the third member and the fourth member with a curved portion at their first ends forming a second loop opening toward to the inside of the cell;
g) a fifth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end;
h) a sixth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end;
i) a seventh substantially linear member having a first end and a second end;
j) an eighth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end;
k) a ninth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; and
l) a tenth substantially linear 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 communicating through additional members to the second end of the fourth member;
m) the fifth member and the sixth member with a curved portion at their second ends forming a third loop opening toward the inside of the cell;
n) the seventh member and the eighth member with a curved portion at second their ends forming a fourth loop opening toward the inside of the cell; and
o) the ninth member and the tenth member with a curved portion at their second ends forming a fifth loop opening toward the inside of the cell, such that the first and the fourth members are joined together through at least the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth and the tenth members without connection directly between the first and fourth members.
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. Loops in the stent are disposed and adapted to cooperate, so that after expansion of said stent within a curved lumen, the stent is curved and cells on the outside of the curve open in length, but narrow in width, whereas cells on the inside of the curve shorten in length, but thicken in width to maintain a density of the stent element area which is much more constant than otherwise between the inside and outside of the curve. The stent also minimizes flaring out by eliminating free loops of the radially supporting circumferential bands of loops. The stent includes widened struts, wherein one or more of the widened struts have at least one reservoir for the delivery of an agent to a vessel site. The reservoir may be a fenestration or a recess that opens towards either the vessel wall or the lumen.
98 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A uniformly flexible expandable stent consisting essentially of a plurality of triangular cells, each triangular cell including:
-
a) a first substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; b) a second substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; c) a third substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; d) a fourth substantially linear 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 a curved portion at their first ends forming a first loop opening toward the inside of the cell; f) the third member and the fourth member with a curved portion at their first ends forming a second loop opening toward to the inside of the cell; g) a fifth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; h) a sixth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; i) a seventh substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; j) an eighth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; k) a ninth substantially linear member having a first end and a second end; and l) a tenth substantially linear 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 communicating through additional members to the second end of the fourth member; m) the fifth member and the sixth member with a curved portion at their second ends forming a third loop opening toward the inside of the cell; n) the seventh member and the eighth member with a curved portion at second their ends forming a fourth loop opening toward the inside of the cell; and o) the ninth member and the tenth member with a curved portion at their second ends forming a fifth loop opening toward the inside of the cell, such that the first and the fourth members are joined together through at least the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth and the tenth members without connection directly between the first and fourth members. - 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)
-
Specification