Claims
- 1. A flexible covered stent, comprising:
a stent comprising a plurality of ring stents, each of said ring stents joined to an adjacent of said ring stents by at least one joining point, wherein said joining point is integral therewith; a first layer of biocompatible material, covering a first surface of said stent; and a second layer of biocompatible material, covering a second surface of said stent, said second layer having a length less than a length of said first layer, said second layer being positioned at a first end region of said stent, leaving at least a mid portion of said second surface of said stent uncovered, wherein said second layer is bonded to said first layer.
- 2. The flexible covered stent according to claim 1, further comprising a third layer of biocompatible material, covering said second surface of said stent, said third layer having a length less than the length of said first layer, said third layer being positioned at a second end region of said stent, wherein said third layer is bonded to said first layer.
- 3. The flexible covered stent according to claim 1, wherein said first surface of said stent is an outer surface thereof and said second surface of said stent is an inner surface thereof.
- 4. The flexible covered stent according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second layers of biocompatible material comprise expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
- 5. The flexible covered stent according to claim 1, wherein said stent is formed from shape memory alloy.
- 6. The flexible covered stent according to claim 1, wherein said length of said first layer is less than the longitudinal length of said stent such that at least one extremity of said stent is left uncovered by said first layer, wherein said uncovered extremity flares outward with respect to a longitudinal axis of the flexible covered stent upon expansion thereof.
- 7. The flexible covered stent according to claim 1, wherein said length of said first layer is less than the longitudinal length of said stent such that a first and second extremity of said stent are left uncovered by said first layer, wherein said uncovered extremities flare outward with respect to a longitudinal axis of the flexible covered stent upon expansion thereof.
- 8. The flexible covered stent according to claim 1, wherein the pulling force necessary to load the flexible covered stent into a delivery system is equal to or less than approximately 6.3 N.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/430,154, filed Oct. 29, 1999, which claims the benefit of provisional application Serial No. 60/118,269, filed Feb. 2, 1999, and which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/401,871, filed Mar. 10, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,523. The entirety of each of these applications is expressly incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60118269 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09430154 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
10412138 |
Apr 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08401871 |
Mar 1995 |
US |
Child |
10412138 |
Apr 2003 |
US |