Patent ID: 9433517
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: A61F,A61L

Claim Text:
1. A method of treating a bodily lumen with a stent, the method comprising: disposing a polymer stent within a bodily lumen, wherein the stent comprises a plurality of circumferential rings composed of ring struts connected at connection regions, wherein the circumferential rings are connected by linking struts that connect adjacent rings at connection regions on the adjacent rings, wherein each ring has at least one deformable strut of the ring struts that has a region of reduced cross-section formed by a notch in a portion of the deformable strut between two connection regions, the notched portion is spaced apart from the connection regions, wherein the notched portion formed in the at least one deformable strut is for inducing necking in the deformable strut, wherein only every other ring strut in each ring has the notch and only one of each longitudinally adjacent struts has the notch wherein the deformable struts are configured to selectively deform in localized regions in the deformable struts upon application of an outward radial force; and expanding the stent by applying the outward radial force, wherein the outward radial force causes selective deformation comprising necking of the deformable struts in the localized region in the struts, wherein the selective deformation is initiated at the reduced cross-section region, wherein the reduced cross-section region guides the necking.