Patent ID: 7722661
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A stent comprising: a plurality of strut bands, each strut band forming a closed path of alternating peaks and troughs, wherein strut bands adjacent to one another are connected by a plurality of connectors, each strut band comprising a plurality of long struts, a plurality of short struts, and a plurality of junctions, each junction being positioned between and connecting a first short strut and a second short strut, each long strut being connected to a first short strut at a peak and each long strut being connected to a second short strut at a trough, each junction defining only a single junction reservoir, each junction reservoir having a junction reservoir area, all of the junction reservoirs of a strut band being circumferentially aligned, each connector comprising a first arm which extends from a junction on one strut band, and a second arm which extends from a junction on an adjacent strut band, at least a portion of the first arm comprising a first U-shaped link and at least a portion of the second arm comprising a second U-shaped link, each first U-shaped link opening in a first direction and each second U-shaped link opening in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction, at least a portion of the first U-shaped link and at least a portion of the second U-shaped link having a shared portion, the shared portion disposed between one of the peaks on one strut band and a longitudinally adjacent trough of an adjacent strut band, the shared portion defining a single connector reservoir, each connector reservoir having a connector reservoir area, the connector reservoir area being greater than the junction reservoir area.