Longitudinally flexible stent

A multicellular stent for holding open a blood vessel formed of a plurality of triangular cells and a plurality of square cells:

• each triangular cell comprising:
• a. a first loop containing section, the first loop containing section arranged generally in the circumferential direction, the loops in said first loop containing section occurring at a first frequency;
• b. a second loop containing section joined to the first loop containing section at a first junction point, the loops in said second loop containing section occurring at a second frequency that is higher than said first frequency;
• and
• c. a third loop containing section joined to the first loop containing section at a second junction point and joined to the second loop containing section at a third junction point, the loops in said third loop containing section occurring at said second frequency that is higher than said first frequency;
• d. wherein loops in said cells are disposed and adapted to cooperate so that, when the expanded stent is in a curved vessel, cells on the outside of the curve open in length, but narrow circumferentially whereas cells on the inside of the curve shorten in length but widen circumferentially;
• e. the second loop containing section and the third loop containing section compensate for foreshortening of the first loop containing sections when the stent is expanded such that a first longitudinal distance of the first loop containing section is smaller expanded than compressed, and a second longitudinal distance of the second and third loop containing sections defined by the joining of the second or third loop containing sections to the first loop containing section is greater expanded than compressed;
• and
• f. the first, second, and third loop containing sections having members, and at least one member of the first loop containing section being wider than members of the second or third loop containing sections;
• and
• g. the triangular cells delineated by more loops than the square cell;
• and
• each square cell comprising:
• h. a first loop having legs disposed longitudinally adjacent a second loop having legs, the second loop being 180 degrees out-of-phase with the first loop;
• and
• i. a plurality of flexible connectors disposed between said first and second loops having legs, each flexible connector having at least one loop, each flexible connector having a first end and a second end defined by points of connection with the longitudinally adjacent legs of the first and second loops, each flexible connector compensating for foreshortening of the first and second loops having legs upon expansion of the stent such that a third longitudinal distance of each of the first and second loops is smaller expanded than compressed, and a fourth longitudinal distance of the flexible connectors is greater expanded than compressed.