Patent ID: 7527644

Claim:
A medical appliance for placement within a portion of the anatomy of a patient, the appliance comprising: a scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, such that when pressure is exerted along varying points of the longitudinal extension of the appliance, the appliance does not undesirably foreshorten or elongate said scaffolding including: a plurality of expandable circumferential bands, each of the circumferential bands having a plurality of angularly extending legs with interconnected ends defining a plurality of peaks and valleys, wherein the legs have approximately equal lengths within each of the circumferential bands, and a plurality of connectors coupled to respective peaks and/or valleys of each adjacent pair of the circumferential bands, each of the connectors including a flexible portion that is configured to be positioned between peaks and/or valleys of adjacent ones of the circumferential bands when the scaffolding is compressed, wherein each flexible portion includes a pair of connector leg members and a crossing member that connects the leg members at a predetermined angle, and wherein the peaks of at least two adjacent circumferential bands are connected by the connectors extending therebetween to define a plurality of arrow shaped regions.