Patent ID: 9408727
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: A61F

Claim Text:
1. A method of expanding a longitudinally flexible stent without stent shortening, comprising: providing a plurality of cylindrical rings, each cylindrical ring being connected to an adjacent cylindrical ring by only three undulating links, each of the undulating links having bends connected by straight portions; aligning the straight portions of the undulating links perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the stent and parallel to a circumferential direction of expansion; expanding the cylindrical rings in the circumferential direction of expansion so that the rings expand radially outwardly while the bends in the undulating links remain unexpanded thereby preventing the stent from foreshortening during expansion; after expanding the cylindrical rings, the bends of the links remain wholly nested within valleys of the cylindrical rings; and positioning the links so that three undulating links connecting a first set of adjacent rings are circumferentially offset 60° from three undulating links connecting a second set of adjacent rings.