Patent ID: 7214241

Claim:
A stent for holding open a body lumen, the stent comprising at least a first longitudinal region having first metallurgical properties and a second longitudinal region having second metallurgical properties different from the first metallurgical properties, wherein the stent comprises at least a first component and a second component, the stent having an assembled configuration comprising the first component and the second component assembled together, the stent comprising: an overlap region in the first component adapted to receive a portion of the second component in the assembled configuration, the overlap region having a first set of manipulation properties in the assembled configuration; one or more flexible regions attached to the overlap region, each flexible region having a second set of manipulation properties different than the first set of manipulation properties, the second set of manipulation properties including at least one of: greater flexibility, greater kink resistance, or less radial strength than the first set of manipulation properties; and a mimic region attached to the flexible region, the mimic region having a third set of manipulation properties that is essentially equivalent to the first set of manipulation properties; wherein the flexible region comprises the first metallurgical properties and the mimic region comprises the second metallurgical properties.