Patent ID: 7998193

Claim:
An expandable tubular stent, comprising in both expanded and unexpanded form: a) a plurality of interconnected flexible cells defining a stent having a proximal end, a central section, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis, the cells arranged in a plurality of interconnected flexible rows of cells disposed along the longitudinal axis of the stent with at least one distal row disposed at the distal end of the stent and at least one proximal row disposed at the proximal end of the stent, each of the flexible cells comprising a first member, a second member, a third member and, a fourth member; b) a first C-shaped loop disposed between the first member and the third member; c) a second C-shaped loop disposed between the second member and the fourth member; d) a first flexible loop connector disposed between the first member and the second member; and e) a second flexible loop connector disposed between the third member and the fourth member; adjacent rows of cells connected to each other; wherein the first and third members of the cells of a distal end row of cells are shorter than the second and fourth members of said cells, wherein said distal end exerts greater radial strength than said central section of the stent.