Patent ID: 6206910
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
An expandable, generally tubular, intraluminal stent, having two ends and a center portion, for insertion within the lumen of a vessel, comprising:a. a plurality of rigid longitudinal struts oriented generally parallel to one another about a central axis of the tubular stent;b. a plurality of end links connected between ends of the longitudinal struts, each end link having a first and second leg joined at a fulcrum with the first leg connected with an end of one longitudinal strut and the second leg connected with an end of an adjacent longitudinal strut so that moment arms provided by the first and second legs permit radial flexibility of the stent to gradually decrease from the ends of the stent toward the center portion of the stent; andc. a plurality of deformable cross-links circumferentially connecting longitudinal struts at the center portion of the stent, each cross-link having first and second ends disposed at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the longitudinal struts to permit the stent to expand upon deformation of the cross-links from a first smaller diameter into a second larger diameter, the deformed cross-links being more rigid than the end links to provide increased rigidity at the center portion of the expanded stent.