Patent ID: 8092520

Claim:
An expandable vascular stent comprising an m×n array of ovals formed in a cylinder having a diameter, a circumference, an axis, and a length in the direction of the axis, where m is the number of columns of ovals in the circumferential direction and n is the number of rows of ovals in the axial direction, the ovals having a short axis and a long axis, the short axis of the ovals extending in the circumferential direction and the long axis of the ovals extending in the axial direction, the cylinder being expandable from an initial diameter to a pre-determined final diameter, wherein an increase in the diameter of the stent results in a decrease in the length of the stent; and a plurality of prongs located at rows 1 and n of the m×n array for connecting the cylinder to a surrounding body, a first plurality of prongs located at row 1 extending generally radially outwardly from the ovals and generally toward a second plurality of prongs located at row n, and the second plurality of prongs located at row n extend generally radially outwardly from the ovals and generally toward the first plurality of prongs at row 1; wherein when the stent is expanded to the final diameter, each of the prongs is bent at or adjacent the ovals so that an elongate first portion along the length of the prong extends radially outwardly, and each of the prongs is further bent radially inwardly relative the first portion so that an elongate second portion along the length of the prong is spaced radially outwardly from the ovals and extends in a generally axial direction.