Patent ID: 7842080

Claim:
A stent having an expanded state and an unexpanded state, the stent comprising: in the unexpanded state, plurality of circumferential serpentine bands including a first serpentine band, a second serpentine band, and a third serpentine band disposed about a longitudinal axis, the serpentine bands comprising a plurality of struts, adjacent struts connected one to the other, each serpentine circumferential band extending around an entire circumference of the stent and being constructed of a repeating pattern of struts of at least three different lengths, wherein at least one of the struts in the repeating pattern of struts has a width that is different than the widths of the remaining struts in the repeating pattern of struts, the serpentine bands having alternating peaks and troughs, the first and second serpentine bands including at least three peaks which are circumferentially and longitudinally offset from one another, wherein the first serpentine band is interlaced with the second serpentine band and the second serpentine band is interlaced with the third serpentine band.