Patent ID: 7326242

Claim:
A stent comprising: a tubular structure having a first end and a second end, the tubular structure being disposed about a first longitudinal axis and having an expanded state and unexpanded state, a portion of the tubular structure defining a side opening, the side opening being substantially ring-shaped in the expanded state, the side opening having a perimeter and being located between the first end and the second end of the tubular structure, the perimeter having a first end and a second end; a first plurality of fingers extending from a first portion of the perimeter, each finger of the first plurality of fingers having a length, each finger of the first plurality of fingers extending from the tubular structure about a second longitudinal axis upon expansion of the stent, the second longitudinal axis being nonparallel to the first longitudinal axis, wherein successive fingers of the first plurality of fingers are of increasing length, the finger closest to the first end of the perimeter being shorter than the finger closest to the second end of the perimeter.