Patent ID: 8287587
Filing Date: 2012-10-16
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A self-expandable stent comprising: a plurality of wavy-line annular bodies arranged in an axial direction, each wavy-annular body possessing one end side and an other-end-side, the one-end-side being located on one axial end of the wavy-line annular body and the other-end-side being located on an opposite axial end of the wavy-line annular body; each of said plurality of wavy-line annular bodies comprising a plurality of one-end-side bends each possessing an apex positioned on the one end side and a plurality of other-end-side bends each having an apex positioned on the other end side; the wavy-line annular bodies comprising a first wavy-line annular body, a second wavy-line annular body, and a third wavy-line annular body; the first and second wavy-line annular bodies being positioned axially adjacent one another with no other wavy-line annular body positioned axially between the first and second wavy-line annular bodies; the second and third wavy-line annular bodies being positioned axially adjacent one another with no other wavy-line annular body positioned axially between the second and third wavy-line annular bodies; the first and second wavy-line annular bodies comprising first and second shared linear portions each having a starting end at one of the apexes on the other-end-side of the first wavy-line annular body and a terminating end located at an intermediate position between said one apex on the other-end-side of the first wavy-line annular body and one of the apexes on the one-end side of the first wavy-line annular body and at the one of the apexes on the second wavy-line annular body, the first and second shared linear portions being integral and unitarily formed with both the first and second wavy-line annular bodies to connect together the first and second wavy-line annular bodies; the second and third wavy-line annular bodies comprising third and fourth shared linear portions each having a starting end at one of the apexes on the other-end-side of the second wavy-line annular body and a terminating end located at an intermediate position between said one apex on the other-end-side of the second wavy-line annular body and one of the apexes on the one-end-side of the second wavy-line annular body and at one of the apexes on the third wavy-line annular body, the third and fourth shared linear portions being integral and unitarily formed with both the second and third wavy-line annular bodies to connect together the second and third wavy-line annular bodies; each of the first, second and third wavy-line annular bodies comprising a first bent linear portion, a second bent linear portion, a third bent linear portion and a fourth bent linear portion; each of the first to fourth bent linear portions comprising at least two bends including the apex; the first bent linear portion of the second wavy-line annular body possessing one end in direct contact with the first shared linear portion and the other end in direct contact with the third shared linear portion, the second bent linear portion of the second wavy-line annular body possessing one end in direct contact with the third shared linear portion and the other end in direct contact with the second shared linear portion, the third bent linear portion of the second wavy-line annular body possessing one end in direct contact with the second shared linear portion and the other end in direct contact with the fourth shared linear portion, and the fourth bent linear portion of the second wavy-line annular body possessing one end in direct contact with the fourth shared linear portion and the other end in direct contact with the first shared linear portion; and a first pair of the bent linear portions out of the first to fourth bent linear portions possessing a first equal number of bends including the apex, a configuration of each one of the first pair being defined such that, upon inversion, one of the first pair of the bent linear portions possesses a configuration that is the same as the other one of said first pair of the bent linear portions prior to inversion, and a second pair of the bent linear portions out of the first to fourth bent linear portions possessing a second equal number of bends including the apex which is different from the first equal number of bends, a configuration of each one of the second pair being defined such that, upon inversion, one of the second pair of the bent linear portions possesses a configuration that is the same as the other one of said second pair of the bent linear portions prior to inversion.