Patent ID: 7204848

Claim:
A stent with a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis, the stent comprising: a plurality of undulating band-like elements having alternating peaks and troughs, each undulating band-like element extending about the longitudinal axis, the plurality of undulating band-like elements extending from the proximal end of the stent to the distal end of the stent, adjacent undulating band-like elements separated by gaps which are shorter in longitudinal length than the undulating band-like elements, the plurality of undulating band-like elements including a first undulating band-like element, a second undulating band-like element and a third undulating band-like element, the second undulating band-like element disposed between the first and third undulating band-like elements, and a plurality of substantially linear interconnecting elements extending between undulating band-like elements which are adjacent one another, each interconnecting element having a first end and a second end which is offset circumferentially and longitudinally along the stent from the first end, the plurality of interconnecting elements including first interconnecting elements and second interconnecting elements, the first interconnecting elements extending between peaks on the first undulating band-like element and troughs on the second undulating band-like element, the number of peaks on the first undulating band-like element exceeding the number of first interconnecting elements, the second interconnecting elements extending between peaks on the second undulating band-like element and troughs on the third undulating band-like element, the number of peaks on the second undulating band-like element exceeding the number of second interconnecting elements, wherein the number of peaks of the first undulating band-like element separating circumferentially adjacent first interconnecting elements is less than the number of peaks of the second undulating band-like element separating circumferentially adjacent second interconnecting elements.