Patent ID: 7175654

Claim:
An intraluminal medical device comprising multiple, independent, self-expanding stent segments, each stent segment including a plurality of longitudinal struts, a plurality of loops connecting adjacent struts, at least one bridging element comprising an elongate member extending from one of the plurality of loops and having a free end with a mating protrusion, the elongate member being longer than the plurality of longitudinal struts, and at least one receptacle, the at least one receptacle comprising an additional space between adjacent longitudinal struts and an expanded loop, defining a cavity for the elongate member and the mating protrusion wherein the at least one bridging element of one or more of the stent segments is configured to be releasably engaged with the at least one receptacle on an adjacent stent segment and wherein the at least one bridging element on one stent segment is offset radially with respect to the at least one bridging element on an adjacent stent segment such that each bridging element in one stent segment does not line up with any bridging element on an adjacent stent segment.