Self expanding stent and method of loading same into a catheter

A stent delivery system, comprising:

• a catheter;
• and
• a stent loaded in the catheter, wherein the stent includes:
• a framework having a hollow cylindrical shape with a length along a stent axis, and the framework including a sequence of cells that each occupy a discrete segment of the stent length, and each of the cells including a plurality of struts with ends connected at respective vertices;
• an adjacent pair of the cells being attached to one another by only three T-bars, wherein each of the T-bars includes a column defining a long axis extending parallel to the stent axis and a top bar attached to one end of the column, and an opposite end of the column being attached to a first cell of the adjacent pair of cells, and the top bar being attached at opposite ends to a second cell of the adjacent pair of cells;
• and
• the top bar having a top bar edge on a side opposite from the column, the top bar edge having a concave edge portion that straddles the long axis of the column and wherein first and second convex edge portions flank the concave edge portion.

A method for making a stent, comprising:

• (a) providing a metallic tube having a tube diameter of 5 French or less;
• (b) laser cutting the metallic tube to form a framework having a hollow cylindrical shape with a length along a stent axis, wherein the framework includes:
• a sequence of cells that each occupy a discrete segment of the stent length, and each of the cells including a plurality of struts with ends connected at respective vertices;
• an adjacent pair of the cells being attached to one another by only three T-bars, wherein each of the three T-bars includes a column defining a long axis extending parallel to the stent axis and a top bar attached to one end of the column, and an opposite end of the column being attached to a first cell of the adjacent pair of cells, and the top bar being attached at opposite ends to a second cell of the adjacent pair of cells;
• and
• the top bar having a top bar edge on a side opposite from the column, the top bar edge having a concave edge portion that straddles the long axis of the column and wherein first and second convex edge portions flank the concave edge portion;
• (c) expanding the framework;
• and
• (d) heat setting the framework at an expanded diameter that is greater than the tube diameter.