Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A stent in a non-expanded state has a first expansion strut pair consisting of a first expansion strut positioned adjacent to a second expansion strut and a joining strut which couples the first and second expansion struts at a distal end of the first expansion strut pair. A plurality of the first expansion strut pair form a first expansion column. A second expansion strut pair consists of a first expansion strut positioned adjacent to a second expansion strut and a joining strut couples the first and second expansion struts at a proximal end of the second expansion strut pair. A plurality of the second expansion strut pair form a second expansion column. A first connecting strut includes a first connecting strut proximal section, a first connecting strut distal section and a first connecting strut intermediate section. The first connecting strut proximal section is coupled to the distal end of the first expansion strut pair in the first expansion column and the first connecting strut distal section is coupled to the proximal end of the second expansion strut pair of the second expansion column. A plurality of the first connecting struts form a first connecting strut column that couples the first expansion column to the second expansion column. A length of the first connecting strut proximal section is equal to a length of the first connecting strut distal section, and a length of the first connecting strut intermediate section is greater than the length of the first connecting strut proximal and distal sections.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim