Flexible stent with hinged connectors

#Intraluminal prostheses used to maintain, open, or dilate blood vessels are commonly known as stents. Stent constructions generally include lattice type cylindrical frames that define a plurality of openings. Common frameworks for stents include, for example, individual rings linked along the length of the stent by a linking member, a continuous helically wrapped member (that may include one or more linking members), a braid or a mesh formed into a tubular structure, and a series of interconnected struts. Stents may be formed by arranging one or more members in a pattern along a longitudinal axis to define essentially a cylinder and connecting the one or more members or otherwise affixing them in position (e.g., interconnecting with a filament). Stents may also be formed by cutting openings into a tube of material (e.g., shape memory alloy).

#Stents are either self-expanding or balloon expandable. Self-expanding stents are delivered to a blood vessel in a collapsed condition and expand in vivo following the removal of a constraining force and/or in the presence of an elevated temperature (due to material properties thereof), whereas balloon expandable stents are generally crimped onto a balloon catheter for delivery and require the outwardly directed force of a balloon for expansion. Stents can be made of various metals and polymers and can include a combination of self-expanding and balloon expandable properties.

#Synthetic vascular grafts are routinely used to restore the blood flow in patients suffering from vascular diseases. For example, prosthetic grafts made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) are commonly used and have shown favorable patency rates, meaning that depending on a given time period, the graft maintains an open lumen for the flow of blood therethrough. Grafts of ePTFE may be manufactured in a number of ways, including, for example, extrusion of a tube (seamless), extrusion of a sheet that is subsequently formed into a tube (one or more seams), helical wrapping of ePTFE tape around a mandrel (e.g., multiple seams or preferably a single helical seam), etc. Grafts can also be created from fibers woven or knitted into a generally tubular shape.

#FIG. 1 is a partial side view of one embodiment of an implantable prosthesis including a scaffold with circumferential sections and bridges with hinges.

#FIG. 2 is a partial side view of another embodiment of an implantable prosthesis including a scaffold with circumferential sections and bridges with hinges.

#FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a bridge connecting circumferential sections.

#The following description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are identically numbered. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The description illustrates by way of example, not by way of limitation, the principles of the invention. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.

#As used herein, the terms “about” or “approximately” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein. Also, as used herein, the terms “body,” “patient,” “host” and “subject” refer to any human or animal subject and are not intended to limit the systems or methods to human use, although use of the subject invention in a human patient represents a preferred embodiment.

#Referring now to FIG. 1, a portion of a composite implantable prosthesis 10 is shown, which includes a scaffold 150 with a plurality of circumferential sections 152, 154 and 156, connected by bridges 100 including hinges 130. The scaffold 150 provides radial strength to open a narrowed section of a lumen and maintain that section in an open position to permit blood flow therethrough. In the embodiment shown, the scaffold 150 includes a plurality of spaced apart circumferential sections that circumscribe a longitudinal axis from a first end of the prosthesis to a second end thereof to define a portion of essentially a cylinder. The circumferential sections 152, 154, and 156 of prothesis 10 shown in FIG. 1 are connected together via bridges 100, which provide axial and angular flexibility, as well as prolonged fatigue life to the prothesis 10 so that the prothesis is able to conform to the body lumen in which it is deployed. Each circumferential section 152, 154, and 156 may include one or more protrusions 110 that provide a connection point between the circumferential section and the bridge 100. The bridges 100 include hinges that permit the bridge to flex. In this embodiment, the bridges 100 include four hinges 130, but other embodiments may have bridges with one, two, three, four or more hinges 130. Also, while the bridges shown in FIG. 1 have the same number of hinges, in other embodiments, the number of hinges 130 may vary for each bridge along the length of the scaffold 150. For example, the bridges positioned near the ends of the scaffold may include four or less hinges, while the bridges positioned near the middle of the scaffold may include four or more hinges, as discussed in more detail below.