Patent ID: 8486133

Claim:
An expandable stent having a longitudinal axis and comprising: a plurality of expandable helical segments that each consist of a plurality of substantially S-shaped portions alternating with a plurality of connecting segments, each S-shaped portion including a plurality of linear segments, wherein at least one linear segment is nonparallel with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the plurality of helical segments extends across substantially the entire length of the stent, each connecting segment including two substantially parallel segments connected by a substantially perpendicular segment, wherein the parallel segments are nonparallel with respect to the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of cylindrical elements being adjacent to one another and being attached to one another by the helical segments, each cylindrical element comprising: a circumference that is substantially identical to that of an adjacent cylindrical element and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of circumferential segments joined together by portions of the helical segments, the circumferential elements having a different rotational orientation than an orientation of the S-shaped portions.