Fenestrated endoluminal stent system

1. An intraluminal prosthesis for strengthening a main lumen and a branch lumen in direct fluid communication with the main lumen, the prosthesis comprising:

a tubular graft comprising a flexible body having a wall with a fenestration; and

a flexible stent comprising a body having a radially expandable elongated member with a passage extending longitudinally therethrough, the flexible stent being expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, the body having at least one interconnection member coupled between a first longitudinal segment and a second longitudinal segment, each of the longitudinal segments including a plurality of laterally interconnected cells, each cell of said longitudinal segment defining a first open space with a first area, and wherein the at least one interconnection member defines lateral edges of a second open space and the first and second longitudinal segments define longitudinal edges of the second open space, the second open space having a second area larger than the first area through the side of the flexible stent, wherein the second area of the second open space, when the flexible stent is in the expanded state, is sized to receive a sufficient amount of tissue prolapse therethrough and within the passage to anchor the flexible stent within said branch lumen,

wherein the flexible stent is intraluminally coupled to the fenestration of the tubular graft, wherein the at least one interconnection member includes a first arm coupled to the first longitudinal segment and a second arm coupled to the first arm and the second longitudinal segment, where, when the flexible stent is in the unexpanded state, the first and second arms are angled relative to each other at a first angle, wherein, when the flexible stent is in the expanded state, the first and second arms are angled relative to each other at a second angle greater than the first angle, wherein the first angle increases to the second angle of 180 degrees during expansion of the flexible stent.

2. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the tubular graft further comprises a plurality of self expanding stents that are coupled along the length of the flexible body of the tubular graft.

3. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the flexible stent body comprises alternating longitudinal segments.

4. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the flexible stent comprises a plurality of bendable tabs coupled to a longitudinal end of the flexible stent body.

5. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 4 wherein each of the bendable tabs is configured to bend substantially radially outwardly from the flexible stent body when a force is applied to the bendable tab from an inside of the flexible stent body.

6. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 5 wherein the flexible stent comprises a radio opaque marker coupled to the body of the flexible stent near one of the bendable tabs.

7. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 6 wherein the tubular graft further comprises a self expanding stent mounted to and extending beyond an end of the flexible body of the tubular graft.

8. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of self expanding stents that are coupled along the length of the flexible body of the tubular graft,

wherein the self expanding stent mounted to the end of the flexible body includes attachment barbs.

9. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the longitudinal segments comprises at least one longitudinal strut separating the laterally interconnected cells, the at least one longitudinal strut having a first arm and a second arm coupled to the first arm, where, when the flexible stent is in the unexpanded state or the expanded state, the first and second arms of the at least one longitudinal strut maintain their longitudinal orientation.

10. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the longitudinal segments further comprises a plurality of arms and bends interconnecting the arms in a serpentine pattern to form the longitudinal edges of the second open space, the longitudinal edges coupled to the at least one longitudinal strut and one of the arms of the at least one interconnection member.

11. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 10 , wherein, when the flexible stent is in the unexpanded state, the arms of the longitudinal edges are substantially parallel to one another, and, when the flexible stent is in the expanded state, the arms of the longitudinal edges are angled relative to each other at an angle of about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees.

12. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 11 , wherein the angle between said arms of the longitudinal edges, when the flexible stent is in the expanded state, is substantially 180 degrees.

13. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 12 , wherein the second open space is substantially rectangular when the flexible stent is in the expanded state.

14. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 9 , wherein the at least one interconnection member comprises a plurality of interconnection members oriented to define a plurality of laterally connected cells that have the second open space with the second area, wherein said cells of the longitudinal segments and said cells of the interconnection members are longitudinally separated by the longitudinal edges.

15. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the first area of the first open space, when the flexible stent is in the expanded state, is sized to receive a sufficient amount of tissue prolapse therethrough and within the passage such that the flexible stent is anchored within said branch lumen.

16. The intraluminal prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the flexible stent is a balloon-expandable stent.