Patent ID: 8088170

Claim:
A ureteral stent for facilitating drainage from the kidney to the bladder of a patient, comprising: an elongated portion defining a lumen and a longitudinal axis; a retention portion extending from a first end portion of the elongated portion and configured to help retain a portion of the ureteral stent in the kidney; and a flared portion extending from a second end portion of the elongated portion, the flared portion having an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, the flared portion having a wall and an elastic member, the elastic member being embedded within the wall and being configured to bias the flared portion in its expanded configuration, the elastic member having a sawtooth pattern including a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion, the first portion of the elastic member extending from a first plane to a second plane, the first plane being disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis defined by the elongated portion, the second plane being different than the first plane and being disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis defined by the elongated portion, the second portion of the elastic member extending from the first portion of the elastic member and extending from the second plane to the first plane, the third portion of the elastic member extending from the second portion of the elastic member and extending from the first plane to the second plane, the fourth portion of the elastic member extending from the third portion of the elastic member and extending from the second plane to the first plane.