Patent ID: 7722664
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A modular elongated stent for holding open a body lumen and for assembly in situ, the stent comprising at least a first component and a second component, the stent having an assembled configuration comprising the first component and the second component assembled together, the stent comprising: a trunk section in the first component; an overlap region in the first component, the overlap region attached to the trunk, the overlap region adapted to receive a portion of the second component in the assembled configuration, and the overlap region having a first set of manipulation properties in the assembled configuration, wherein the first set of manipulation properties are flexibility, kink resistance, and radial strength; a fixed leg section in the first component, the fixed leg section having a first stent architecture and a second set of manipulation properties different than the first set of manipulation properties, the second set of manipulation properties including greater flexibility than the first set of manipulation properties, greater kink resistance than the first set of manipulation properties, and less radial strength than the first set of manipulation properties; a mimic region in the first component, the mimic region attached to the fixed leg section and the trunk section having a third set of manipulation properties, wherein the third set of manipulation properties are flexibility, kink resistance, and radial strength, and the third set of manipulation properties is essentially equivalent to the first set of manipulation properties, and a second stent architecture, wherein each of the first and second stent architectures comprise a geometry having a recurrent pattern of geometric elements in an arrangement of circumferential hoops axially attached to one another, one or more elements of each hoop comprising connected elements that are connected to an axially adjacent hoop, elements not connected to an axially adjacent hoop comprising unconnected elements, each element having an element height and an included angle, each hoop comprising a number of elements and a ratio of connected elements to unconnected elements, the first and second stent architectures differing by one of: the element height, the number of elements in each hoop, the included angle, the ratio of connected elements to unconnected elements, or a combination thereof; and a transition region between the fixed lea section and the mimic region, the transition region having a gradient from the second set of manipulation properties to the third set of manipulation properties, wherein said transition region comprises one of: an intermediate element height, an intermediate number of elements in each hoop, an intermediate included angle, an intermediate ratio of connected elements to unconnected elements, or a combination thereof.