Stent to be deployed on a bend
A stent comprises a segment having a plurality of interconnected closed serpentine circumferential bands. Each closed serpentine circumferential band comprises a plurality of struts. Struts which are circumferentially adjacent one another are connected one to the other by a turn. Each strut has a length. The struts generally increase in length from a minimum strut length to a maximum strut length and then generally decrease in length from the maximum length to the minimum length as the circumferential band is traversed in its entirety in a clockwise direction. The maximum length struts of adjacent closed serpentine circumferential bands may be longitudinally aligned.
1 . A stent comprising:
a first segment comprising a plurality of closed serpentine circumferential bands, adjacent closed serpentine circumferential bands connected to one another, each closed serpentine circumferential band comprising a plurality of struts, struts which are circumferentially adjacent one another connected one to the other by a turn, each strut having a length, the struts generally increasing in length from a minimum strut length to a maximum strut length and then generally decreasing in length from the maximum strut length to the minimum strut length as the circumferential band is traversed in its entirety in a clockwise direction, wherein the struts of maximum length in the closed serpentine bands are generally longitudinally aligned with one another.
2 . The stent of claim 1 wherein the struts of a closed serpentine band continually increase in length from a minimum strut length to a maximum strut length and then continually decrease in length from the maximum strut length to the minimum strut length as the circumferential band is traversed in its entirety in a clockwise direction.
3 . The stent of claim 1 wherein the struts of maximum length are arranged in a longitudinal strip.
4 . The stent of claim 1 , further comprising at least one segment of a different geometry from the first segment.
5 . The stent of claim 1 wherein each closed serpentine circumferential band has a first end and a second end and the turns at only one of the first and second ends are in general circumferential alignment, the turns at the other end being non-aligned circumferentially.
6 . The stent of claim 5 including closed serpentine bands having turns which are in general circumferential alignment at the first ends of the closed serpentine bands and turns which are non-aligned circumferentially at the second ends; and including closed serpentine bands having turns which are in general circumferential alignment at the second ends of the closed serpentine bands and turns which are non-aligned circumferentially at the first ends.
7 . The stent of claim 6 including two closed serpentine bands which are adjacent one another, one of the two closed serpentine bands having circumferentially non-aligned turns at the second end, the other of the two closed segments having circumferentially non-aligned turns at the first end, the circumferentially non-aligned turns of the two closed serpentine bands facing one another.
8 . The stent of claim 1 including one or more closed serpentine bands whose turns at a first end are circumferentially non-aligned and whose turns at a second end are circumferentially non-aligned.
9 . The stent of claim 1 wherein each of the closed serpentine bands has circumferentially non-aligned turns at a first end of the band and circumferentially non-aligned peaks at a second end of the band.
10 . The stent of claim 1 wherein the struts of minimum length in the closed serpentine bands are generally longitudinally aligned with one another.
11 . The stent of claim 1 wherein at least one connecting element comprises a curved portion.
12 . The stent of claim 11 wherein at least one connecting element includes a peak and a valley.
13 . The stent of claim 1 , wherein a first connecting element has a greater length than a second connecting element, the first connecting element being circumferentially adjacent to the second connecting element.
14 . An unexpanded stent comprising a plurality of interconnected struts disposed in a tubular structure, a first portion and a second portion of the tubular structure including struts which generally increase in length to a maximum length and then generally decrease in length to a minimum length as the stent is traversed circumferentially about a longitudinal axis, a maximum length strut of the first portion being longitudinally aligned with a maximum length strut of the second portion, wherein the first portion is proximal to the second portion.
15 . The stent of claim 14 wherein the maximum length strut of the first portion is the same length as the maximum length strut of the second portion.
16 . The stent of claim 14 wherein the maximum length strut of the first portion is shorter than the maximum length strut of the second portion.
17 . A stent comprising a plurality of interconnected struts defining a wall surface, the wall surface including a segment having a strip extending from one end of the segment to the other end of the segment and extending over a portion of the circumference of the stent, the strip characterized as having a plurality of rows of interconnected struts which are of greater length than the remaining struts of the segment.
18 . A stent comprising a plurality of interconnected struts defining a wall surface, the wall surface including a segment having a strip extending from one end of the segment to the other end of the segment and extending over a portion of the circumference of the stent, the strip characterized as having a plurality of rows of interconnected struts which are of greater flexibility than the remaining struts of the segment.
19 . The stent of claim 18 wherein the struts of greater flexibility are longer than the remaining struts of the stent.
20 . The stent of claim 18 wherein the struts of greater flexibility are thinner than the remaining struts of the stent.