Hybrid stent

A stent in the form of a thin-walled, lace-like, cylindrical tube with a longitudinal axis, the stent comprising:

• a multiplicity of interior circumferential sets of strut members and one end circumferential set of strut members at each of the two longitudinal ends of the stent;
• each interior circumferential set of strut members including at least one connected strut member consisting of a long diagonal section having a longitudinal length L1 fixedly attached along a connecting line to a connected curved section, each connected curved section being joined by means of a longitudinal connecting link to one curved section of an adjacent circumferential set of strut members;
• each interior set of strut members also including at least one unconnected strut member consisting of a short diagonal section having a longitudinal length L2 fixedly joined to an unconnected curved section;
• the stent being further characterized by having the length L1 of the long diagonal section being longer than the length L2 of the short diagonal section, i.e.;
• L1>L2, so that the unconnected strut members have a decreased tendency for flaring outward as the stent is advanced though a curved vessel;
• and
• wherein the longitudinal connecting link is straight.