Patent ID: 7806919

Claim:
A stent system for use within a body lumen, the system comprising: an interior stent component having a proximal end, a distal end, and a generally tubular cylindrical body defining a central flow lumen therethrough; an exterior stent component including a plurality of longitudinally-extending connectors radially positioned around the tubular body of the interior stent component; and means for securing the exterior stent component to the interior stent component in a non-fixed, sliding relationship wherein at least a first end segment of each of the longitudinally-extending connectors slidably extends through a corresponding hook attached to the interior stent component to have a slidable connection with the interior stent component, wherein segments of the longitudinally-extending connectors of the exterior stent component that extend along the cylindrical body portion of the interior stent component are configured to bow radially outward away from an outer surface of the interior stent component when the stent system is in a radially expanded configuration such that the interior stent component is radially positioned within the longitudinally-extending connectors of the exterior stent component when the stent system is in the radially expanded configuration.