Self expanding stent and method of loading same into a catheter

A stent comprising:

• a framework having a hollow cylindrical shape with a length along a stent axis, and the framework including a sequence of cells that each occupy a discrete segment of the stent length, and each of the cells including a plurality of struts with ends connected at respective vertices;
• an adjacent pair of the cells being attached to one another by a plurality of T-bars that each include a column defining a long axis extending parallel to the stent axis and a top bar attached to one end of the column, and an opposite end of the column being attached to a first cell of the adjacent pair of cells, and the top bar being attached at opposite ends to a second cell of the adjacent pair of cells;
• the column has a minimum width perpendicular to the long axis that is wider than a maximum width of each of the struts, and the column defines at least one slot;
• and
• the top bar has a curved edge on a side opposite from the column and the curved edge straddles the long axis.