Stent geometry for improved flexibility

A stent characterized by a longitudinal axis, the stent comprising at least one serpentine band extending about the circumference of the stent and having alternating peak portions and trough portions,

• the peak portions including shorter peak portions and longer peak portions, the longer peak portions of a longitudinal extent greater than the shorter peak portions,
• the longer peak portions including first bent peak portions which extend in a first direction non-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent and second bent peak portions which extend in a second direction non-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent,
• each first bent peak portion circumferentially adjacent to one second bent peak portion which points toward the first bent peak portion and to one second bent peak portion which points away from the first bent peak portion,
• adjacent first and second bent peak portions which point toward one another separated one from the other by at least one shorter peak portion.