Patent ID: 7273495

Claim:
A method of implanting an intravascular stent for repairing a body lumen having an area of vulnerable plaque, comprising: providing a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end and an expandable member adjacent the distal end; providing an intravascular stent, mounted on the expandable member, the stent having a distal section, a proximal section, and a central section positioned between the distal section and the proximal section, the proximal section and the distal section having a plurality of cylindrical rings interconnected by a plurality of undulating links, the central section having a plurality of struts connected by apices to form a single substantially zig-zag pattern around the circumference of the stent in the central section, and the cylindrical rings comprising a series of U, W and Y-shaped structures in a repeating pattern; inserting the catheter into the vascular system and advancing the catheter distal end so that the stent is positioned in a body lumen to be repaired; aligning the stent in the body lumen so that only the central section apposes said area of vulnerable plaque; inflating the expandable member and implanting the stent in the body lumen; and deflating the expandable member and withdrawing the catheter from the vascular system.