Removable stent and method of using the same

A medical appliance for placement within and removal from a portion of the anatomy of a patient, the appliance comprising:

• a scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, such that when pressure is exerted along varying points of the longitudinal extension of the appliance, the appliance does not undesirably foreshorten or elongate, wherein along the longitudinal extension of the appliance, the scaffolding forms geometrical patterns, said scaffolding comprising:
• a plurality of expandable circumferential bands formed of struts having interconnected ends defining a series of alternating peaks and valleys, said peaks and valleys of adjacent circumferential bands being in-phase except for at least one out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, and
• a plurality of flexible connectors extending between each pair of the circumferential bands, wherein at least one set of the flexible connectors extends between and connects at least one pair of peaks or one pair of valleys of the out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands,
• each of the flexible connectors including a substantially U-shaped connector member coupled with portions of the geometrical patterns, the U-shaped connector comprising a crossing member and a plurality of leg members extending from the crossing member, wherein the length of the leg members and the degree of the angle at which the legs extend from the crossing member determines the relative flexibility of the medical appliance, wherein,
• each of the plurality of connectors are spaced apart from one another by at least one pair of peaks and one pair of valleys of adjacent circumferential bands, and further wherein
• the distal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the proximal direction, and the proximal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the distal direction.

A medical appliance for placement within and removal from a portion of the anatomy of a patient, the appliance comprising:

• a scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, such that when pressure is exerted along varying points of the longitudinal extension of the appliance, the appliance does not undesirably foreshorten or elongate, wherein the thickness of the scaffolding is about between 150 μm and 220 μm said scaffolding comprising:
• a plurality of expandable circumferential bands formed of struts having interconnected ends defining a series of alternating peaks and valleys, said peaks and valleys of adjacent circumferential bands being in-phase except for at least one out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, and
• a plurality of flexible connectors extending between each pair of the circumferential bands, wherein at least one set of the flexible connectors extends between and connects at least one pair of peaks or one pair of valleys of the out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, wherein,
• each of the plurality of connectors are spaced apart from one another by at least one pair of peaks and one pair of valleys of adjacent circumferential bands, and further wherein
• the distal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the proximal direction, and the proximal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the distal direction.

A method of treating a patient suffering from luminal irregularities, comprising the steps of:

• providing a medical appliance comprising a scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, such that when pressure is exerted along varying points of the longitudinal extension of the appliance, the appliance does not undesirably foreshorten or elongate, said scaffolding comprising:
• a plurality of expandable circumferential bands formed of struts having interconnected ends defining a series of alternating peaks and valleys, said peaks and valleys of adjacent circumferential bands being in-phase except for at least one out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, and
• a plurality of flexible connectors extending between each pair of the circumferential bands, wherein at least one set of the flexible connectors extends between and connects at least one pair of peaks or one pair of valleys of the out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, wherein each of the plurality of connectors are spaced apart from one another by at least one pair of peaks and one pair of valleys of adjacent circumferential bands, and further wherein the distal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the proximal direction, and the proximal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the distal direction;
• installing the medical appliance in a non-vascular lumen of the patient;
• activating the expansion of the medical appliance in the desired location;
• and
• removing the medical appliance from the lumen of the patient.

A medical appliance for placement within and removal from a portion of the anatomy of a patient, the appliance comprising:

• an electropolished scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, such that when pressure is exerted along varying points of the longitudinal extension of the appliance, the appliance does not undesirably foreshorten or elongate, said scaffolding comprising:
• a plurality of expandable circumferential bands formed of struts having interconnected ends defining a series of alternating peaks and valleys, said peaks and valleys of adjacent circumferential bands being in-phase except for at least one out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, and
• a plurality of flexible connectors extending between each pair of the circumferential bands, wherein at least one set of the flexible connectors extends between and connects at least one pair of peaks or one pair of valleys of the out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, wherein,
• each of the plurality of connectors are spaced apart from one another by at least one pair of peaks and one pair of valleys of adjacent circumferential bands, and further wherein
• the distal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the proximal direction, and the proximal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the distal direction and,
• wherein the scaffolding is electropolished.

A method of treating a patient suffering from luminal irregularities, comprising the steps of:

• providing a medical appliance comprising an electropolished scaffolding, the scaffolding configured to define a substantially cylindrical member having a distal end and a proximal end and extending longitudinally there between, forming a lumen there through, such that when pressure is exerted along varying points of the longitudinal extension of the appliance, the appliance does not undesirably foreshorten or elongate, said scaffolding comprising:
• a plurality of expandable circumferential bands formed of struts having interconnected ends defining a series of alternating peaks and valleys, said peaks and valleys of adjacent circumferential bands being in-phase except for at least one out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, and
• a plurality of flexible connectors extending between each pair of the circumferential bands, wherein at least one set of the flexible connectors extends between and connects at least one pair of peaks or one pair of valleys of the out-of-phase pair of circumferential bands, wherein each of the plurality of connectors are spaced apart from one another by at least one pair of peaks and one pair of valleys of adjacent circumferential bands, and further wherein the distal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the proximal direction, and the proximal end of the cylindrical member is defined by a circumferential band connected to flexible connectors that extend only in the distal direction;
• installing the medical appliance in a preferred location of the anatomy of the patient;
• and
• activating the expansion of the medical appliance in the desired location.