Patent ID: 7985251
Filing Date: 2011-07-26
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A stent with high bending flexibility, which has a generally tubular body formed of a plurality of ring units, and said tubular body is expandable in the radial direction of said tubular body from inside of said tubular body, each of the plurality of ring units being formed of a plurality of cells connected to one another circumferentially around a central axis (C said ring units being arranged in an axial direction along the central axis (C (i) each of said connector portions being generally S-shaped and formed of two arched portions, each arched portion having an arch of curvature radius R, and a generally linear portion therebetween, wherein each connector portion is connected to at least one cell of one of the plurality of ring units and at least one cell of an adjacent ring unit, (ii) wherein each of said cells has a first configuration comprising a bendable and expandable curved portion having acute angle X, a first strut comprising a generally linear portion having an axially disposed position that is substantially parallel to the central axis (C wherein the generally linear portion of the first strut is adjacent and continued with the bendable and expandable curved portion and the generally linear portion of the second strut is adjacent to and continued with the bendable and expandable curved portion, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first strut and a longitudinal axis of the generally linear portion of the second strut intersect to form the acute angle X of said bendable and expandable curved portion, (iii) wherein in the first configuration, the cells and the connector portions are so disposed such that there is at least one of a first space between each first strut and each adjacent second strut (Si), a second space between each bendable and expandable curved portion and each adjacent arched portion of each connector portion (Sii), and a third space between adjacent arched portions of adjacent connector portions (Siii), (iv) wherein when compression of the stent in the radial direction is made, each of said cells has a compressed configuration, wherein the first strut maintains the axially disposed position and the second strut bends toward said first strut, wherein in the compressed configuration at least part of adjacent first and second struts make contact and at least part of adjacent connector portions make contact, wherein said cells are arranged in the axial direction of the stent such that 3 to 8 cells are disposed per 10 mm of the length of said stent, wherein the ratio of the length of each cell in the axial direction of the stent and the length of each connector portion in the axial direction of the stent is 50 to 100, and wherein said stent with said cells in said compressed configuration is configured to be mounted on a balloon and transported in a blood vessel to a diseased part to be treated.