Patent ID: 6969402

Claim:
A stent for insertion into a vessel of a patient, comprising: a tubular member having a first smaller diameter for insertion into the vessel, and a second larger diameter for deployment within the vessel, said tubular member including a helical central portion, a substantially cylindrical end portion, and a transition zone connecting said central portion and said end portion, said helical central portion including a first plurality of hoops substantially a first size, said first plurality of hoops being helically wound, said cylindrical end portion including a second plurality of hoops of substantially a second size, said transition zone including a plurality of transition hoops having a plurality of different sizes, said hoops of each of said helical central portion, said cylindrical end portion, and said transition zone defined by struts, said tubular member having a three-way junction of struts comprising one strut of a last hoop of said transition hoops, one strut of a first hoop of either said transition hoops or said first plurality of hoops, and a middle strut.