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US 2003/0195616 A1Published application
Articulated stent
AssigneeMedinol Ltd.
InventorsGregory Pinchasik, Jacob Richter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An articulated stent for delivering through a bodily conduit, for example, a peripheral or coronary artery, which has one or more curved portions and for implantation therein. The articulated stent includes at least two substantially rigid segments and a flexible connector for connecting adjacent segments. The connector assumes a cylindrical configuration when relaxed and a differentially stretched and compressed curved configuration when flexed.
Claims22
An expandable stent comprising:
- (a) at least two substantially longitudinally rigid segments,
- (i) each of said substantially rigid segments having a plurality of U or V-shaped regions in both the expanded and unexpanded configuration, the U or V-shaped regions being more open in the expanded configuration than in the unexpanded configuration,
- (ii) each of said substantially rigid segments presenting a substantially cylindrical structure defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough in both the expanded and unexpanded configurations, the cylindrical structure being shorter in length and wider in diameter in the expanded configuration than in the unexpanded configuration,
- (b) a flexible connector comprising a plurality of flexible links disposed between and connecting adjacent substantially longitudinally rigid segments,
- (i) each of said flexible links connecting a U or V-shaped region of a substantially rigid segment with the nearest U or V-shaped region of the adjacent substantially rigid segment,
- (ii) each of said flexible links, when viewed laterally, having a first portion, a second portion and at least one area of inflection disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and
- (iii) none of said flexible links projecting into said longitudinal passageway in the unexpanded configuration.
4 more elements
An expandable stent comprising:
- (a) at least two substantially longitudinally rigid segments,
- (i) each of said substantially rigid segments having a plurality of U or V-shaped regions in both the expanded and unexpanded configuration, the U or V-shaped regions being more open in the expanded configuration than in the unexpanded configuration,
- (ii) each of said substantially rigid segments presenting a substantially cylindrical structure defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough in both the expanded and unexpanded configurations, the cylindrical structure being shorter in length and wider in diameter in the expanded configuration than in the unexpanded configuration,
- (b) a flexible connector comprising a plurality of flexible links disposed between and connecting adjacent substantially longitudinally rigid segments,
- (i) each of said flexible links having end points which are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sent,
- (ii) each of said flexible links, when viewed laterally, having a first portion, a second portion and at least one area of inflection disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and
- (iii) none of said flexible links projecting into said longitudinal passageway in the unexpanded configuration.
4 more elements
An expandable stent comprising:
- (a) at least two substantially rigid segments,
- (i) each of said substantially rigid segments having a plurality of U or V-shaped regions in both the expanded and unexpanded configuration, the U or V-shaped regions being more open in the expanded configuration than in the unexpanded configuration,
- (ii) each of said substantially rigid segments presenting a substantially cylindrical structure defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough in both the expanded and unexpanded configurations, the cylindrical structure being wider in diameter in the expanded configuration than in the unexpanded configuration,
- (b) a flexible connector comprising a plurality of flexible links disposed between and connecting adjacent substantially rigid segments,
- (i) each of said flexible links connecting a U or V-shaped region of a substantially rigid segment with the nearest U or V-shaped region of the adjacent substantially rigid segment, with substantially all of said U or V-shaped regions, other than the U or V-shaped regions at the ends of the stent being connected,
- (ii) each of said flexible links, when viewed laterally, having a first portion, a second portion and at least one area of inflection disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and
- (iii) none of said flexible links projecting into said longitudinal passageway in the unexpanded configuration.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.