Patent ID: 8123794

Claim:
A support frame, comprising: a plurality of ring structures joined by first and second sets of connector segments and providing proximal and distal ends and first and second axial portions of said support frame, each of the first set of connector segments joining only an adjacent pair of the plurality of ring structures and each of the second set of connector segments joining at least three ring structures of the plurality of ring structures, the first axial portion including connector segments of both the first and second sets of connector segments and the second axial portion including connector segments of only the first set of connector segments; wherein each of the proximal and distal ends of said support frame comprises only one ring structure of the plurality of ring structures; and wherein the first axial portion includes the proximal end of said support frame and the second axial portion includes the distal end of said support frame and the entire ring defined by each of at least two adjacent ring structures of the plurality of ring structures, one of which is directly joined to the ring structure of the distal end by a connector segment of the first set of connector segments.