Radially expandable non-contracting surgical stent

A surgical stent for implantation into a body lumen, said stent having a substantially cylindrical contour and being radially expandable, the stent comprising in combination:

• a plurality of circumferential elements, each circumferential element encircling said cylindrical contour of said stent;
• at least two of said plurality of circumferential elements having a continuously curving undulating form extending along a length of the stent when the stent is unexpanded, including at least one trough and at least one crest as said undulating circumferential elements circumscribe said cylindrical contour of said stent;
• at least one axial element located between two adjacent said circumferential elements and attached to one of said adjacent circumferential elements at a first junction and to the other of said circumferential elements at a second junction;
• wherein said first junction is located spaced from said crests and said second junction is located spaced from said crests;
• and
• each said undulating circumferential element having its at least one trough out of phase with said at least one trough of said adjacent undulating circumferential element.

A surgical stent featuring non-contracting ends, said stent having a cylindrical contour and being radially expandable within a lumen, the stent comprising in combination:

• a first end circumferential element encircling said cylindrical contour of said stent;
• a second end circumferential element encircling said cylindrical contour of said stent;
• at least one intermediate circumferential element encircling said cylindrical contour of said stent;
• said first end circumferential element and said second end circumferential element having an undulating form including at least one trough and at least one crest as said circumferential elements circumscribe said cylindrical contour of said stent;
• at least one first end axial element located between said first end circumferential element and one of said intermediate circumferential elements adjacent said first end circumferential element, said first end axial element connected to one of said troughs in said first end circumferential element and to said adjacent intermediate circumferential element;
• and
• at least one second end axial element located between said second end circumferential element and one of said intermediate circumferential elements adjacent said second end circumferential element, said second end axial element connected to one of said troughs in said second end circumferential element and to said adjacent intermediate circumferential element.

A surgical stent having a cylindrical contour and being radially expandable within a body lumen, the stent comprising:

• at least two pairs of circumferential elements, each circumferential element forming an elongate circuit completely circumscribing said cylindrical contour;
• each said circumferential element having a continuously curving undulating form extending along a length of the stent when the stent is unexpanded and formed from a series of connected linear segments and including alternating troughs and crests as said circumferential element circumscribes said cylindrical contour of said stent;
• the undulating forms of the circumferential elements of each said pair being out of phase relative to one another;
• a plurality of axial elements connecting the circumferential elements of each said pair, each axial element being attached to opposing troughs of the circumferential elements of each said pair;
• and
• at least one linking element connecting adjacent pairs of circumferential elements, said linking element extending between a crest of a circumferential element in one pair and a crest of a circumferential element in the other pair.