Intraluminal medical device having improved visibility
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsBrian Brown, Paul Chouinard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stent may be formed of at least one structural material having a pattern including at least one serpentine structure which extends about the longitudinal axis of the stent. The structure is formed of a plurality of struts. Adjacent struts are interconnected by end portions having inner turns and outer turns. At least some of the end portions are elongated and other end portions are non-elongated and have a predetermined length. The inner turns of the elongated end portions are substantially unaligned longitudinally with the inner turns of the non-elongated end portions. At least one of said elongated end portions is configured to serve as a fiducial marker.
Claims42
A stent formed of at least one structural material and having a pattern including at least one serpentine structure extending about the longitudinal axis of the stent and formed of a plurality of struts, adjacent struts interconnected by end portions having inner turns and outer turns, at least some of the end portions being elongated and other end portions being non-elongated and having a predetermined length, the inner turns of the elongated end portions substantially unaligned longitudinally with the inner turns of the non-elongated end portions, at least one of said elongated end portions configured to serve as a fiducial marker.
A stent formed of at least one structural material, said stent having a pattern including at least one serpentine structure extending about the longitudinal axis of the stent and formed of a plurality struts, adjacent struts interconnected by end portions having inner turns and outer turns, at least some of the end portions having extensions which may be configured for serving as fiducial markers for enhanced imaging modality, and having other end portions with no extensions, said some end portions having said extensions not extending substantially beyond the length of said other end portions.
A stent formed of a structural material, said stent having a pattern including at least one serpentine structure extending about the longitudinal axis of the stent and formed of a plurality of struts, pairs of adjacent struts interconnected by end portions having inner turns and outer turns, and at least some of the end portions being elongated and other end portions being non-elongated, said elongated end portions having at least one void for accepting at least one fiducial marker.
A method of forming a stent having fiducial markers, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a tube of structural material;
- and
- cutting a stent pattern in said structural material, said stent pattern having a plurality of interconnected circumferential bands each circumferential band formed of a plurality of struts, pairs of adjacent struts interconnected by end portions having inner turns and outer turns, at least some of the end portions being elongated and other end portions being non-elongated, said elongated end portions adapted for enhanced imaging modality.
A method of forming a stent of at least one structural material, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a tube of structural material;
- cutting a pattern in said tube, said pattern including a plurality of interconnected circumferential bands each circumferential band formed of a plurality struts, pairs of adjacent struts interconnected by end portions having inner turns and outer turns, at least some of the end portions having extensions for accepting fiducial markers for enhanced imaging modality, and having other end portions with no extensions, said other end portions having a predetermined length, said extensions not extending substantially beyond the length of said other end portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.