Patent ID: 7806918

Claim:
A stent configured to reduce traumatization of the vessel wall, the stent comprising: a tubular support frame that can be expanded from an initial state to a support state, in which the tubular support frame comprises at least two annular segments that are formed by struts that are interconnected in a corrugated manner via transitional sections and in which adjacent annular segments are coupled by connectors, wherein one of the annular segments corresponds to a proximal end of the tubular support frame and one of the annular segments corresponds to a distal end of the tubular support frame, wherein every other transitional section at the proximal and distal ends of the tubular support frame has a widened head end that axially projects proximally from the proximal end and distally from the distal end and has a convexly rounded front section, concavely rounded throat sections between the head end and the struts connected to the head end, and convexly rounded edge sections extending between the convexly rounded front section and the concavely rounded throat sections, wherein the concavely rounded throat sections are configured to intermesh with, and extend at least partially over and abut, adjacent transitional sections in the initial state, each widened head end having a maximum width measured transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular support frame, wherein each widened head end comprises a structure that is solid across the entire maximum width, and wherein the tubular support frame further comprises a plurality of deflection elements for a thread looping around the outside of the support frame that are arranged on the annular segments at the proximal and distal ends of the support frame, wherein each deflection element comprises an eyelet configured to receive a thread therethrough.