Patent ID: 7763066

Claim:
An expandable stent for medical implantation, comprising: a stent structure formed from a series of structural members, said stent structure being generally cylindrical with an inner surface, an outer surface, a proximal end, and a distal end, wherein a series of radial openings extend through said stent structure between said inner and outer surfaces thereby adapting said stent structure to expand from a compressed diameter to an expanded diameter, wherein said radial openings are defined by said series of structural members; a bend disposed at said at least one of said proximal and distal ends of said stent structure, said bend having an arc-shaped outer surface extending substantially 180 degrees between two of said structural members, wherein the bend comprises a uniform width substantially the same as a uniform width of said structural members, said bend being substantially closed when said stent structure is in said compressed diameter so that said two of said structural members are substantially parallel in said compressed diameter, and said bend being opened when said stent structure is in said expanded diameter so that said two of said structural members are angled away from each other in said expanded diameter; and a pushing member connected to at least one of said proximal and distal ends of said stent structure, said pushing member being connected along a first side of said pushing member through a connecting portion, said pushing member further comprising a second side disposed away from said first side and a longitudinal member connected to said first and second sides, whereby said second side is adapted to contact a holder and said longitudinal member is adapted to transmit force applied by said holder to said connecting portion and said stent structure, wherein said longitudinal member and said connecting portion are further connected to a lateral extension, said lateral extension being disposed along said first side and adjacent said stent structure, said lateral extension comprising a surface having a concave shape with respect to a laterally extending plane, said concave shape corresponding to said arc-shaped outer surface of said bend that extends substantially 180 degrees when said stent structure is in said compressed diameter, said surface of said lateral extension thereby being configured to directly receive substantially the entire arc-shaped outer surface of said bend that extends substantially 180 degrees when said stent is in said compressed diameter, whereby at least a portion of said force transmitted by said longitudinal member is distributed to said bend and said two of said structural members without substantially deforming structural members directly connected to said pushing member through said connecting portion.