Patent ID: 7867272
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. An intraluminal prosthetic device capable of radially expanding from a first contracted position to a second expanded position comprising: a plurality of closed hoop structures arranged along a longitudinal axis in a spaced apart manner, wherein each hoop structure includes a plurality longitudinally arranged strut members and a plurality of loop members directly connecting adjacent struts to form a closed endless ring, each loop member having a single radial arc that is symmetric about a radial center point, and wherein each loop member is rotationally off-set from the longitudinally adjacent loop member on the longitudinally adjacent hoop structure; and a plurality of flex members attached between each adjacent hoop structure, the flex members being arranged in spaced apart relation along the circumference of each hoop structure, each flex member comprised of one generally circumferentially extending flexible strut segment, each flexible strut segment being connected on each end to a first end of a longitudinally extending curved segment, the second end of each of the longitudinally extending curved segments being directly attached to the hoop structure, each curved segment comprises a first non-linear curve section directly connected to an opposingly oriented second non-linear curve section, wherein circumferentially adjacent flexible strut segments contact one another forming an interlock region equal to the contact length between the circumferentially adjacent flexible strut segments when the intraluminal prosthetic device is configured in the radially contracted position, the interlock region being approximately 50 percent of each flexible strut segment length, and wherein longitudinally adjacent flex members have an alternating orientation.