Patent ID: 7267684

Claim:
A stent for supporting the wall of a vessel, the stent having a tubular body having a wall including an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface, the tubular body capable of being expanded from a radially contracted position to a radially expanded position, the stent comprising: at least two annular segments including first and second annular segments each having a sinusoidal shape, at least one annular segment being configured such that a first portion of the at least one annular segment has a first outer wall surface width at an intersection of a first plane with the first portion, and a second portion of the at least one annular segment has a second outer wall surface width at an intersection of a second plane with the second portion, the first plane being perpendicular to the sinusoidal shape at the first portion, the second plane being perpendicular to the sinusoidal shape at the second portion, first outer wall surface width being greater than the second outer wall surface width; and at least two bridge connectors including first and second bridge connectors connected between the first and second annular segments, the first and second bridge connectors each having a length between a first location of connection with the first annular segment and a second location of connection with the second annular segment; the first bridge connector having a shape defining a sinusoidal path having first and second peaks between the first and second annular segments, the first and second peaks of the first bridge connector being circumferentially offset from the first location of connection of the first bridge connector and the first annular segment.