Patent ID: 8920489

Claim:
A tubular flexible stent having proximal and distal end portions and a cylindrical shape, with luminal and abluminal surfaces and a thickness there between, the cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis, the tubular flexible stent comprising: a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band, the band being wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings, each strut member having a substantially rectangular shape with opposing longitudinally oriented long sides and opposing circumferentially oriented short sides, each hinge member having a curvilinear shape with an inside curve and an outside curve, and having opposing end portions connecting to the circumferentially adjacent strut members and a protruding crown along at least one of the inside curve or the outside curve and defined by opposing regions having opposite curvature respective to the inside curve or the outside curve, wherein the crown is positioned between the opposing end portions and is configured to localize plastic strain.