Prosthesis with flexible stent

A prosthesis extending about a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end, the prosthesis comprising:

• an expandable tubular frame having a lumen longitudinally extending therein about a longitudinal axis, the frame including a longitudinal first region coupled to a longitudinal second region, wherein the longitudinal second region is proximal to the longitudinal first region,
• the longitudinal first region comprising a transition segment and a flex segment adjacent to one another, the transition segment including a pair of annular stent members adjacent to one another, each of the annular stent members of the transition segment having proximal and distal apices arranged in a peak-to-peak relationship with one another and coupled to one another intermittently such that a portion of the proximal and distal apices of the transition segment remains uncoupled to one another to define a plurality of dual-diamond shaped cells circumferentially disposed from one another, such that the plurality of dual-diamond shaped cells and a plurality of diamond shaped cells are circumferentially disposed from one another,
• the flex segment including an annular stent member having proximal and distal apices arranged in a peak-to-valley relationship with the annular stent members of the transition segment, wherein a plurality of longitudinal tie bars is are intermittently coupled between the proximal apices of the annular stent member of the flex segment and the proximal apices of the annular stent member of the transition segment at a plurality of coupling joints, wherein each of the coupling joints are located where the proximal and distal apices of the pair of annular stent members of the transition segment remain uncoupled to one another.

A prosthesis extending about a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end, the prosthesis comprising:

• a balloon expandable tubular frame having a lumen longitudinally extending therein about a longitudinal axis, the frame including a longitudinal first region coupled to a longitudinal second region, wherein the longitudinal second region is proximal to the longitudinal first region,
• the longitudinal first region comprising an alternating pattern of a transition segment and a flex segment adjacent to one another,
• each transition segment including a plurality of annular stent members adjacent to one another, each of the annular stent members of the transition segment having proximal and distal apices arranged in a peak-to-peak relationship with one another and coupled to one another intermittently such that a portion of the proximal and distal apices of the transition segment remains uncoupled to one another,
• each flex segment including an annular stent member having proximal and distal apices arranged in a peak-to-valley relationship with the annular stent members of each transition segment,
• wherein a plurality of longitudinal tie bars is intermittently coupled between the proximal apices of the annular stent member of each flex segment and the proximal apices of the proximalmost annular stent member of each transition segment at a plurality of coupling joints, wherein each of the coupling joints is located where the proximal and distal apices of the pair of annular stent members of each transition segment remain uncoupled to one another,
• wherein a plurality of second longitudinal tie bars is coupled between the distal apices of the annular stent member of each flex segment and the distal apices of one of the distalmost annular stent members of each transition segment at a plurality of distal coupling joints, wherein each of the distal coupling joints is located where the proximal and distal apices of the annular stent members of each transition segment remain uncoupled to one another.