Patent ID: 9675479
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. A stent for implantation in or around a hollow organ, comprising: a first end, a second end, and a plurality of adjacently positioned ring shaped elastic wall segments along a length of said stent between said first end and said second end, each wall segment having a radial elastic structure and comprising a plurality of reverse bends with each reverse bend formed of first and second spring devices; gaps separating said wall segments; rigid connector devices upon each of said wall segments, said connector devices being in communication across said gaps to link only adjacently positioned first spring devices or only adjacently positioned second spring devices, said connector devices having a design such that, in a non-expanded configuration, the adjacently positioned first spring devices or the adjacently positioned second spring devices are displaced from a first wall segment to a second adjacent wall segment with regard to a longitudinal axis of said stent by an offset having a width equal to the thickness of said first and second spring devices combined; wherein: said connector devices have a length that is less than or equal to one half of a length of said first and second spring devices; and a series of said connector devices and the adjacently positioned first spring devices or the adjacently positioned second spring devices are substantially axially aligned with one another along said stent, either end to end or along their longitudinal axes, to form a plurality of continuous longitudinally rigid flanges extending uninterrupted and in a substantially straight line between said first and second end, each of said plurality of continuous longitudinal flanges consisting of respective connector devices and only respective adjacently positioned first spring devices or only respective adjacently positioned second spring devices located upon adjoining wall segments; and the plurality of continuous longitudinally rigid flanges less than the plurality of reverse bends of each of the adjoining wall segments.