Longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in body lumen has cylindrical elements, extending around stent axis and independently expandable in radial direction, each element with constant thickness struts formed in serpentine wave pattern

摘要

The stent (10) has a number of adjacent cylindrical elements (12) connected to each other by interconnecting members (13), each extending around a longitudinal stent axis and independently expandable in the radial direction. Each element has constant thickness struts formed in a serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis. The stent is mounted in a delivery catheter which is essentially the same as a conventional balloon dilation catheter. Independent claims are included for a longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen from a contracted to an expanded condition, and a method for constructing the stent.