Expandable and retrievable stent

1. An expandable and retrievable stent comprising:

an inner strut with an inner strut proximal end portion and an inner strut distal end portion;

a distal anchor secured to the inner strut distal end portion;

a plurality of distal arms operably attached to the distal anchor;

a first traveling anchor movably attached to the inner strut, wherein the first traveling anchor is located between the inner strut proximal end portion and the inner strut distal end portion;

a plurality of proximal arms operably attached to the traveling anchor; and

a plurality of outer struts, wherein each outer strut extends between and is operably attached to one proximal arm at a proximal attachment and one distal arm at a distal attachment;

wherein said stent has three configurations, namely:

a first compressed state, wherein the distal arms are pivoted distally away from the distal anchor, the proximal arms are pivoted distally away from the traveling anchor and the traveling anchor is in a first position;

an expanded state, wherein the distal arms and the proximal arms are substantially perpendicular to the inner strut and the traveling anchor is in a second position; and

a second compressed state, wherein the distal arms are pivoted proximally away from the distal anchor, the proximal arms are pivoted proximally away from the traveling anchor and the traveling anchor is in a third position; wherein the second position is between the first position and the third position; and

wherein at least one of the distal anchor and the first traveling anchor is disposed on the inner strut within an area surrounded by the outer struts when said stent is in the first compressed state and outside the area surrounded by the outer struts when said stent is in the second compressed state.

2. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second traveling anchor, wherein the second traveling anchor is distal to the first traveling anchor and proximal to the distal anchor; and

a plurality of central arms operably attached to the second traveling anchor, wherein each central arm is operably attached to one of the outer struts.

3. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical sleeve, wherein the cylindrical sleeve is attached to the plurality of outer struts.

4. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 3 , wherein the cylindrical sleeve includes at least one biologically active compound.

5. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 wherein the proximal arms and the distal arms are attached to the first traveling anchor, the distal anchor and the outer struts by way of eyelets.

6. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the inner strut comprises sloping teeth and the first traveling anchor comprises a pawl.

7. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 wherein the outer struts are convex.

8. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 , wherein the traveling anchor is convertible from a reduced diameter to an expanded diameter.

9. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the inner strut comprises spiral threads and the traveling anchor comprises grooves corresponding to the spiral threads.

10. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 1 , wherein the stent comprises a bioabsorbable material.

11. The expandable and retrievable scent of claim 1 , wherein the stent or selected portions of the stent comprise a coating.

12. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises at least one biocompatible polymeric material.

13. The expandable and retrievable stent of claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises at least one biologically active material.