Patent ID: 9724121
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61M

Claim:
1. A scaffold comprising: a tubular body configured to be carried over a balloon on a balloon catheter, said body including a plurality of deformable closed cells arranged in axial columns and circumferential rings, wherein axially adjacent cells are connected at axial connection points and circumferentially adjacent cells are connected at circumferential connection points; and deformable struts extending between the axial connection points within at least some of the deformable cells, wherein each strut includes a first segment and a second segment which meet at configured so that a mid-portion of the strut deflects radially outwardly as the cell axially shortens as the tubular body is radially expanded by the balloon, wherein the mid-portion is biased to open radially outwardly as the strut is axially compressed by the axial shortening of the cell, wherein the mid-portion of the strut includes a force distribution pad comprising an open frame having a first circumferentially oriented beam attached to an inner end of the first segment of the deformable strut and a second circumferentially oriented beam attached to an inner end of the second segment of the deformable strut, wherein remote ends of each deformable strut segment are attached to the axial attachment points of the cell, and wherein each circumferentially oriented beam torques about its axis as the tubular body is radially expanded by the balloon and the deformable strut deflects radially outwardly.