Patent ID: 8038705

Claim:
A stent formed of at least one structural material and having a pattern including a plurality of serpentine structures comprising a first end serpentine structure, a second end serpentine structure, and at least one intermediate serpentine structure therebetween, each end serpentine structure extending about the longitudinal axis of the stent and formed of a plurality of struts, adjacent struts interconnected by end portions having inner turns and outer turns, the inner turns and outer turns and struts therebetween forming a series of peaks and troughs, the outer turns of the peaks of the end serpentine band define an end of the stent; wherein the outer turns of troughs of the end serpentine band are connected to outer turns of an adjacent intermediate serpentine structure by connecting elements; wherein at least some of the end portions of the end serpentine structure are elongated and have a first predetermined length and other end portions are non-elongated and have a second predetermined length, the first predetermined length greater than the second predetermined length; wherein none of the elongated end portions are connected to the adjacent intermediate serpentine structure; wherein the inner turns of the elongated end portions are substantially unaligned longitudinally with the inner turns of the non-elongated end portions and wherein at least one of said elongated end portions is configured to serve as a fiducial marker.