Patent ID: 6884260

Claim:
A stent for placement in a vessel of a patient's vascular system comprising: a substantially tubular body portion having a plurality of struts, each strut having first and second ends and a midpoint located midway therebetween, each end of the plurality of struts intersecting with an end of at least one adjacent strut to form a plurality of strut intersections, at least one strut being configured to taper between the midpoint and the first and second ends in a manner that is gradual and substantially continuous, wherein the tubular body portion defines a longitudinal axis and has a first end and a second end and wherein a plurality of intersecting struts adjacent the first end form a substantially diamond shape pattern at the first end of the stent and a plurality of intersecting struts adjacent the second end form a substantially zigzag pattern at the second end of the stent, the diamond shape pattern and zigzag pattern being connected by a plurality of longitudinal struts, the longitudinal struts being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, and wherein the at least one strut being configured to taper is a strut adjacent the first end of the stent.