Patent ID: 8425586

Claim:
A vascular prosthesis comprising: a generally tubular body defining an axis, the body placeable in contracted and expanded states and having an axial length and a circumferential dimension in the expanded state; and the body comprising: a series of circumferential elements including first, second, third and fourth circumferential elements, each circumferential element having first and second ends, the first and second ends being circumferentially spaced apart, each of circumferential element having a circumferentially-extending first length between the first and second ends; first and second connectors joining alternating ends of adjacent circumferential elements so that first connectors join the first ends of the first and second circumferential elements and the first ends of the third and fourth circumferential elements, and said second connector joins the second ends of the second and third circumferential elements, thereby creating a generally serpentine pattern of the circumferential elements and connectors; the first and second connectors having circumferentially-extending first and second connector lengths; the first length of the circumferential element plus the first and second connector lengths joined thereto equaling a total circumferential length; and each connector length being between 2.5% and 25% of the total circumferential length, whereby axial flexibility is provided for the body without sacrificing deployment dynamics; the second and third circumferential elements and the first connectors at the first ends of the second and third circumferential elements separated by a stress relief slot, each stress relief slot having a circumferentially-extending relief slot length of more than 50% and less than 95% of the total circumferential length; and the stress relief slots having narrow width portions over a majority of the relief slot lengths, the narrow width portions having constant-width lateral dimensions of no greater than about 3 mm.