Importance

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Abstract

Expandable stents are disclosed. The stents have a plurality of rings or modules interconnected in series, with selectable links between the rings to provide for articulation. The preferred stent includes a plurality of modules, each of the modules being radially interconnected to form a ring configured to be expandably interconnected and being interconnected to each other in series by respective interconnection bridges. Each ring including a continuous strand of a material, the continuous strand of material being interconnected end to end so as to generally encompass a radial space within the ring. The strand of material being configured to include a repeating series of interconnected repeating W-shaped strand configurations having a repeating dip, rise, dip, rise, loop, dip, rise, dip, rise, loop patterned configuration. Preferably, the continuous strand of a material has an outer surface including cavities being at least partially filled with compositions containing medicinal agents selected to provide medically desirable effects upon positioning within a patient. Preferably, the continuous strand of a material has a series of narrowings that facilitate the bending of the strand. Alternate rings have at least one and preferably a number of expansion cells. The expansion cells preferably have at least one accordion structure on each side of the cell, which allows for significant expansion. The material of the respective stents being deformable such that each ring can be deformed from a first configuration wherein each ring has a first circumference and, in certain embodiments, each expansion cell has a first radial length, to a second configuration wherein each ring has a second circumference greater than the first circumference. Methods of producing the devices are also disclosed, including various etching methods.

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First Claim