Patent ID: 6599314
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
An apparatus for stenting a vessel comprising:a stent having a lattice of interconnecting elements including a plurality of adjacent hoops, each hoop comprising a plurality of loops, and the lattice defining a substantially cylindrical configuration having a first open end and a second open end, the lattice being movable between a locked configuration and an open configuration, and a plurality of bridges, each bridge having a first end and a second end, the first end of each bridge being attached to a loop of one hoop and the second end of each bridge attached a loop on an adjacent hoop when the stent is in the locked configuration and the open configuration, each bridge interlocking with an adjacent bridge in the locked configuration and each bridge separating from the adjacent bridge in the open configuration; a catheter having an inner sleeve and an expandable member on the inner sleeve, the expandable member being movable between a collapsed state and an expanded state, the stent being secured to the catheter over the expandable member when the expanded member is in the collapsed state and the stent is in the locked configuration and the stent being separated from the catheter when the expanded member is in the expanded state and the stent is in the open configuration.