Patent ID: 7594927

Claim:
A stent having in an unexpanded configuration, a generally tubular configuration and containing a longitudinal axis, said stent comprising: a plurality of rings of radial strength portions, a radial strength portion connected to an adjacent radial strength portion by a flexible portion, each of said radial strength portions comprising a plurality of radial struts; and each said flexible portion comprising a plurality of flexible struts; wherein a flexible strut intersects with a radial strut at the midpoint of the radial strut, with said flexible strut and said radial strut generally parallel to each other at said intersection; wherein in each ring of radial struts a pair of adjacent radial struts is placed about 90° out of phase with the pair of radial struts closest to it in an adjacent ring of radial struts; and wherein a series of flexible struts extends end-to-end in a continuous spiral around the circumference of the stent.