Claims
- 1. An unexpanded stent comprising:a plurality of radially-expandable circumferential struts, each circumferential strut having more than one sinusoidal cycle; and a plurality of longitudinally-expandable longitudinal struts, each longitudinal strut having a sinusoidal cycle which is spaced apart from said circumferential struts, adjacent longitudinal struts being separated by less than one sinusoidal cycle of said circumferential strut.
- 2. The stent defined in claim 1, wherein the sinusoidal cycle of the longitudinal strut comprises a start point and an end point which are substantially aligned along a longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 3. The stent defined in claim 1, wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of at least one of the plurality of radially-expandable circumferential struts varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 4. The stent defined in claim 1, further comprising a medicinal coating disposed thereon.
- 5. A stent system comprising a balloon catheter having an expandable portion, the expandable portion having disposed thereon the stent defined in claim 4.
- 6. An unexpanded stent comprising:a plurality of S-shaped circumferential struts; and a plurality of S-shaped longitudinal struts, each longitudinal strut having a sinusoidal cycle which is spaced apart from any circumferential strut; and each circumferential strut having one complete sinusoidal cycle which is coupled to two radially adjacent longitudinal struts.
- 7. The stent defined in claim 6, wherein the sinusoidal cycle in the longitudinal strut comprises a start point and an end point substantially aligned along a longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 8. The stent defined in claim 6, wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of at least one of the plurality of radially-expandable circumferential struts varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 9. The stent defined in claim 6, further comprising a medicinal coating disposed thereon.
- 10. A stent system comprising a balloon catheter having an expandable portion, the expandable portion having disposed thereon the stent defined in claim 9.
- 11. An unexpanded stent having a design which comprises a plurality of polygons, each polygon having:two longitudinally-extending side members, each side member comprising at least one sinusoidal cycle; and two non-linear end members, each non-linear end member comprising less than one sinusoidal cycle, wherein each longitudinally-extending side member has a sinusoidal cycle which is spaced apart from said end members.
- 12. The stent defined in claim 11, wherein the sinusoidal cycle in each longitudinally-extending side member comprises a start point and an end point substantially aligned along a longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 13. The stent defined in claim 11, wherein the two end members comprise a first concave-shaped end member and a second convex-shaped end member.
- 14. The stent defined in claim 13, wherein the first concave-shaped end member and the second convex-shaped end member are superimposable.
- 15. The stent defined in claim 13, wherein the first concave-shaped end member and the second convex-shaped end member are non-superimposable.
- 16. The stent defined in claim 13, wherein the first concave-shaped end member comprises a first apex and the second convex-shaped end member comprises a second apex.
- 17. The stent defined in claim 16, wherein the first apex is substantially flat and the second apex is substantially curved.
- 18. The stent defined in claim 16, wherein the first apex and the second apex are substantially aligned with respect to a longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 19. The stent defined in claim 11, wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of at least one of the polygon members varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 20. The stent defined in claim 11, further comprising a medicinal coating disposed thereon.
- 21. A stent system comprising a balloon catheter having an expandable portion, the expandable portion having disposed thereon the stent defined in claim 20.
- 22. A stent comprising:a plurality of radially-expandable circumferential struts, each circumferential strut having more than one sinusoidal cycle; and a plurality of longitudinally-disposed struts, each longitudinally-disposed strut having a sinusoidal cycle which is spaced apart from said circumferential struts, wherein the plurality of radially-expandable circumferential struts disposed between adjacent longitudinal struts comprises a first strut section and a second strut section each substantially oppositely angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the stent to define an apex section.
- 23. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein the sinusoidal cycle of the longitudinally-disposed strut comprises a start point and an end point which are substantially aligned along the longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 24. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of the first strut section varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 25. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of the second strut section varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 26. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of each of the first strut section and the second strut section varying in the range of from about 0.0020 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 27. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein the first strut section and the second strut section are substantial mirror image of one another about the longitudinal axis.
- 28. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein the apex section is substantially flat.
- 29. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein the apex section is curved.
- 30. The stent defined in claim 22, wherein the longitudinal struts are connected to the apex section.
- 31. The stent defined in claim 22, further comprising a medicinal coating disposed thereon.
- 32. A stent system comprising a balloon catheter having an expandable portion, the expandable portion having disposed thereon the stent defined in claim 31.
- 33. A stent comprising:a plurality of undulating circumferential struts; and a plurality of longitudinal struts, each longitudinal strut having a sinusoidal cycle which is spaced apart from any circumferential strut, the sinusoidal cycle comprising a first curved section and a second curved section, wherein the first curved section and the second curved section are of a different size.
- 34. The stent defined in claim 33, wherein the first curved section is U-shaped.
- 35. The stent defined in claim 33, wherein the second curved section is U-shaped.
- 36. The stent defined in claim 33, wherein the both the first curved section and the second curved section are U-shaped.
- 37. The stent defined in claim 33, wherein the first curved section and second curved section are interconnected.
- 38. The stent defined in claim 33, wherein the first curved section and second curved section are in a spaced relationship to one another.
- 39. The stent defined in claim 33, wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of at least one of the plurality of radially-expandable circumferential struts varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 40. The stent defined in claim 33, further comprising a medicinal coating disposed thereon.
- 41. A stent system comprising a balloon catheter having an expandable portion, the expandable portion having disposed thereon the stent defined in claim 40.
- 42. A stent comprising:a plurality of undulating circumferential struts; and a plurality of longitudinal struts, each longitudinal strut having a curved flex member which is spaced apart from any circumferential strut, the curved flex member comprising a first U-shaped section and a second U-shaped section; wherein the first curved section and the second curved section are of a different size.
- 43. The stent defined in claim 42, wherein the first U-shaped section and the second U-shaped section are on opposite sides a longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 44. The stent defined in claim 42, wherein the first U-shaped section and second U-shaped section are interconnected.
- 45. The stent defined in claim 42, wherein each of the first U-shaped section and second U-shaped section comprise a pair of straight sections which are: (i) parallel to each other, and (ii) substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 46. The stent defined in claim 42 wherein a relative flexibility of the stent is variable in accordance with a thickness of at least one of the plurality of radially-expandable circumferential struts varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 47. The stent defined in claim 42, further comprising a medicinal coating disposed thereon.
- 48. A stent system comprising a balloon catheter having an expandable portion, the expandable portion having disposed thereon the stent defined in claim 47.
- 49. An unexpanded stent comprising:a plurality of circumferentially-disposed, radially-expandable rows of struts, each row of circumferentially-disposed struts comprising a plurality of first sinusoidal sections; and a plurality of longitudinally-disposed, longitudinally-expandable rows of struts, each longitudinally-disposed strut comprising a curved second sinusoidal section, adjacent rows of circumferentially-disposed struts being interconnected by longitudinally-disposed struts, a complete cycle of the curved second sinusoidal section having a length less than a length between adjacent rows of circumferentially-disposed struts, adjacent longitudinally-disposed struts being spaced at a distance which is less than a length of a complete cycle of the first sinusoidal section; wherein the second sinusoidal section comprises a start point and an end point which define a segment substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stent.
- 50. The stent defined in claim 49, wherein the row of circumferentially-disposed struts comprises struts, and wherein each having a flexibility which varies in accordance with a thickness thereof varying in the range of from about 0.0015 to about 0.0045 inches.
- 51. The stent defined in claim 49, further comprising a medicinal coating disposed thereon.
- 52. A stent system comprising a balloon catheter having an expandable portion, the expandable portion having disposed thereon the stent defined in claim 51.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2171047 |
Mar 1996 |
CA |
|
2175722 |
May 1996 |
CA |
|
2185740 |
Sep 1996 |
CA |
|
2192520 |
Dec 1996 |
CA |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of U.S patent application Ser. No. 09/142,508, filed Feb. 16, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,608.
US Referenced Citations (39)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0669114 |
Aug 1995 |
WO |
WO953194 |
Feb 1996 |
WO |
WO960309 |
Feb 1996 |
WO |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/142508 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/672767 |
|
US |