Patent ID: 6129755
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A stent for insertion into a vessel of a patient, said stent comprising:a) a tubular member having a thickness and having front and back open ends and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, said member having a first smaller diameter for insertion into said vessel, and a second larger diameter for deployment into said vessel;b) said tubular member comprising a plurality of adjacent hoops extending between said front and back ends, said hoops comprising a plurality of longitudinal struts and a plurality of loops connecting adjacent struts, said struts on each hoop being closely adjacent to one another and substantially evenly spaced from each other when in said first smaller diameter, said member further comprising a plurality of bridges connecting adjacent hoops to one another; andc) wherein said struts have lengths, measured parallel to said longitudinal axis, and wherein the ratio of the number of struts per hoop to the length of a strut as measured in inches is greater than about 400 wherein upon deployment of said stent, any openings in said tubular member are substantially small, whereby any adjacent embolic material in a vessel is substantially trapped between said stent and a vessel.