Patent ID: 6770101
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A stent comprising,first and second terminal ends spaced apart from each other, at least one of the first and second terminal ends comprising a retention ring having an expanded ring state and a collapsed ring state, and a wall, disposed between the first and second terminal ends, and including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a lumen extending between the first and second terminal ends, and the outer surface having a substantially smooth portion, the wall having, a first outside cross-sectional diameter at the first terminal end, a second outside cross-sectional diameter at the second terminal end, at least one intermediate outside cross-sectional diameter at an intermediate location between the first and second terminal ends, each of the first and second outside cross-sectional diameters is greater than the intermediate outside cross sectional diameter and the outer surface of the wall tapers down from each of the first and second terminal ends to the at least one intermediate location, and an expanded state and a collapsed state, the wall being adapted to spontaneously revert from the collapsed state to the expanded state, wherein the retention ring is adapted to spontaneously revert from the collapsed ring state to the expanded ring state and, in the expanded ring state, the retention ring extends axially from the wall of the stent.