Stents for angioplasty

A method of making a stent comprising:

• providing a tubular blank defining a longitudinal axis;
• and
• forming the blank into first and second adjacent annular segments connected by a plurality of bridge elements, each segment defining a substantially sinusoidal shape having a plurality of peaks and valleys, the peaks of the first segment extending toward the second segment and being aligned longitudinally with the valleys of the second segment, the plurality of bridge elements having a U-shaped portion between first and second connector arms, the first connector arm of one bridge element being connected between a first peak and a first valley of the first segment and the second connector arm being connected between a first peak and a first valley of the second segment in a manner such that the U-shaped portion extends in the direction of the first peak of the first segment and the first valley of the second segment.

A stent having a substantially tubular body defining a longitudinal axis comprising:

• first and second adjacent annular segments, each segment having a substantially sinusoidal wave shape;
• first and second bridge elements, the first bridge element having a first end connected to the first annular segment at a zero point of the sinusoidal wave shape and having a second end connected to the second annular segment at a zero point of the sinusoidal wave shape, the second bridge element having a first end connected to the first annular segment at a zero point of the sinusoidal wave shape spaced 360° from the connection of the first bridge element to the first annular segment and a second end connected to the second annular segment at a zero point of the sinusoidal wave shape spaced 360° from the connection of the first bridge element to the second segment, the first and second bridge elements and the portion of the first and second annular segments between the connection points of the bridge elements together defining a cell.

A stent having a substantially tubular body defining a longitudinal axis comprising:

• a plurality of annular segments, each segment having a substatially sinusoidal wave shape;
• a plurality of bridge elements, each bridge element having a first end connected to one annular segment at a zero point of the sinusoidal wave shape and a second end connected to an annular segment adjacent to the one annular segment at a zero point of the sinusoidal wave shape of the adjacent annular segment, the annular segments and bridge elements being configured such that when compression, flexure and torsion forces are applied to the stent they generate first maximum stress regions, second maximum stress regions, and third maximum stress regions, where the first, second, and third maximum stress regions do not overlap.