Patent ID: 8409270

Claim:
An implantable radiopaque stent comprising: a plurality of elongate filaments including at least one radiopaque filament, the radiopaque filament formed from a polymeric material comprising a radiopaque powder, particulate or paste, the plurality of filaments arranged to form a hollow tubular structure having a tubular wall that defines an inner surface and an outer surface and opposing first open end and second open end, wherein the at least one radiopaque filament has a diameter greater than the diameter of each of the plurality of non-radiopaque filaments, the at least one radiopaque filament having a diameter that extends outward from the outer surface of the tubular structure in an amount sufficient to engage frictionally a luminal wall of a vessel; at least one of the open ends formed by an intersection of adjacent filament ends welded together with another intersection of adjacent filaments to form an overlapped region; and sufficient amount of the radiopaque compound comprising radiopaque material and polymeric material provided in the overlapped region, wherein the radiopaque compound and the radiopaque filament improve external imaging of the tubular structure on imaging equipment.