Stent having adjacent elements connected by narrow flexible webs
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsRyan D. Kariniemi, Jeffrey J. Kustusch, Mark J. Ulm
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Abstract
A stent and method of making incorporating flexible, preferably polymeric, connecting elements into the stent wherein these elements connect element(s) across an intervening space. The polymeric connecting elements are designed to fold within the space between the outer diameter of the stent and the inner diameter of the stent.
Claims24
An endoprosthesis having a length, a radius, and a circumference, the endoprosthesis comprising;
- a stent having an undulating pattern including a plurality of apices and defining a plurality of stent rows;
- and
- a plurality of flexible connecting elements forming a plurality of interconnections between the plurality of adjacent stent rows, each of the plurality of interconnections including at least two flexible connecting elements that extend substantially circumferentially and are formed of polymeric material and which attach a single apice from one of the plurality of stent rows to an adjacent row of one of the plurality of stent rows.
An endoprosthesis having a length, a radius, and a circumference, the endoprosthesis comprising;
- a stent formed by a plurality of windings with multiple apices;
- and
- a pair of flexible connecting elements that extend substantially circumferentially to connect between an apex of one of the plurality of windings to portions of the stent on either side of an apex on an adjacent one of the plurality of windings.
An endoprosthesis having a length, a radius, and a circumference, the endoprosthesis comprising;
- a stent having a plurality of stent elements forming a serpentine pattern with multiple apices;
- at least two flexible connecting elements that extend substantially circumferentially to attach a first apex of a first stent element to at least two apices of a second stent element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.