Patent ID: 8133268

Claim:
An implantable intraluminal medical scaffold comprising: a substantially tubular structure having first and second open ends for fluid flow therethrough and configured to maintain luminal patency of a vessel, including two or more radially expandable stent segments wherein the two or more expandable stent segments are positioned axially adjacent to each other, each of the stent segments being formed from a plurality of strut pairs; at least one notched tab structure located at an apex of at least one strut pair on each of the stent segments, the at least one notched tab structure having a first flat bearing surface, and a second flat bearing surface formed on at least two strut pairs positioned opposite the at least one notched tab on adjacent stent segments, the first flat bearing surfaces and the second flat bearing surfaces being configured to transmit compressive loads between the stent segments during deployment and one or more substantially axially oriented flexible fiber bridges interconnecting the adjacent two or more radially expandable stent segments to form the substantially tubular structure, the flexible fiber bridges being configured for attachment of the two or more radially expandable stent segments and arranged such that they offer substantially no impedance to fluid flow through the tubular structure, the flexible fiber bridges being anchored by a knotted loop on the at least one notched tab structure on each of the stent segments, the notched tabs being configured to hold the flexible fiber bridges.