Intravascular stent
An expandable stent for implanting in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen. In one aspect, the stent includes a butterfly pattern to which connecting links are attached. In another aspect, the stent embodies a non-directional structure. One embodiment is a stent in which one or both ends are more flexible than the center portion. Also, the stent may have a non-uniform drug coating. Another embodiment relates to a stent having ends that are more radiopaque than the center portion.
1. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:
a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis; and at least one link connecting adjacent cylindrical rings to form a stent body, the stent body being movable between a delivery configuration and an expanded configuration;
wherein the stent body has a first end portion, a center portion, and a second end portion, with at least one of the end portions being more flexible than the center portion; and
the stent body has a drug coating, the drug coating having greater coverage on the center portion than on at least one of the end portions, the center portion including a plurality of cylindrical rings, each cylindrical ring forming the center portion including a plurality of peaks and valleys, each cylindrical ring of the center portion including a plurality of open W-patterns with at least one valley disposed between each open W-pattern, each open W-pattern having a pair of valleys and one U-shaped peak, the peaks of each open W-pattern of a cylindrical ring being longitudinally aligned with the valley portions of an adjacent cylindrical ring, the peak of the open W-pattern having a longitudinal length which is substantially shorter than the longitudinal length of other peaks on the cylindrical ring, the peak of the open W-pattern being connected to one end of the at least one link and the other end of the at least one link being connected to a valley of an adjacent ring, the remainder of the open W-pattern being unconnected to another adjacent ring, wherein each of the at least one link connecting adjacent rings in the center portion includes a curved portion, each of the first end portion and the second end portion including a plurality of cylindrical rings, each cylindrical ring of the first and second end portions being connected by at least one link having at least one more curved portion than the links connecting the cylindrical rings in the center portion, wherein in the first end portion and the second end portion the at least one link connects a valley of one cylindrical ring to a valley of an adjacent cylindrical ring.
2. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 1 , wherein both ends are more flexible than the center portion.
3. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one cylindrical ring in at least one end portion comprises valleys of uniform extent.
4. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one link in the center portion has a “U” profile.
5. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 1 , wherein each cylindrical ring includes a plurality of valleys and the at least one link is attached to the peak of the open W-pattern and one of the valleys of an adjacent cylindrical ring.
6. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:
a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis; and
at least one link connecting adjacent cylindrical rings to form a stent body, the stent body being movable between a delivery configuration and an expanded configuration;
wherein the stent body has a first end portion, a center portion, and a second end portion and
at least one of the end portions is more radiopaque than the center portion, the center portion including a plurality of cylindrical rings, each cylindrical ring forming the center portion including a plurality of peaks and valleys, each cylindrical ring including a plurality of open W-patterns with at least one valley disposed between each open W-pattern, each open W-pattern having a pair of valleys and one U-shaped peak, the peak of the open W-pattern having a longitudinal length which is substantially shorter than the longitudinal length of other peaks on the cylindrical ring, the peaks of each open W-pattern of a cylindrical ring being longitudinally aligned with the valley portions of an adjacent cylindrical ring, the peak of the open W-pattern being connected to one end of the at least one link and the other end of the at least one link being connected to a valley of an adjacent ring, the remainder of the open W-pattern being unconnected to another adjacent ring, wherein each of the at least one links connecting adjacent rings in the center portion includes a curved portion, each of the first end portion and the second end portion including a plurality of cylindrical rings, each cylindrical ring of the first and second end portions being connected by at least one link having at least one more curved portion than the links connecting the cylindrical rings in the center portion, wherein in the first end portion and the second end portion the at least one link connects a valley of one cylindrical ring to a valley of an adjacent cylindrical ring.
7. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 6 , wherein the stent body comprises metal, at least one of the end portions has more metal than the center portion.
8. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 6 , wherein both the first end portion and the second end portion are more radiopaque than the center portion.
9. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion have a surface area density greater than the center portion.
10. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 6 , wherein both the first end portion and the second end portion have a surface area density greater than the center portion.
11. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion is relatively more flexible than the center portion.
12. A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising:
a plurality of cylindrical rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis; and
at least one link connecting adjacent cylindrical rings to form a stent body, the stent body being movable between a delivery configuration and an expanded configuration;
wherein the stent body has a first end portion, a center portion, and a second end portion; and
at least one of the end portions is more flexible than the center portion, the center portion including a plurality of cylindrical rings, each cylindrical ring forming the center portion including a plurality of peaks and valleys, each cylindrical ring including a plurality of open W-patterns with at least one valley disposed between each open W-pattern, each open W-pattern having a pair of valleys and one U-shaped peak, the peak of each open W-pattern of a cylindrical ring being longitudinally aligned with a valley portion of an adjacent cylindrical ring, the peak of the open W-pattern having a longitudinal length which is substantially shorter than the longitudinal length of other peaks on the cylindrical ring, the peak of the open W-pattern being connected to one end of the at least one link and the other end of the at least one link being connected to a valley of an adjacent ring, the remainder of the open W-pattern being unconnected to another adjacent ring, wherein each of the at least one links connecting adjacent rings in the center portion includes a curved portion, each of the first end portion and the second end portion including a plurality of cylindrical rings, each cylindrical ring of the first and second end portions being connected by at least one link having at least one more curved portion than the links connecting the cylindrical rings in the center portion, wherein in the first end portion and the second end portion the at least one link connects a valley of one cylindrical ring to a valley of an adjacent cylindrical ring.
13. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 12 , wherein the center portion has more drug coating such that the coating than the end portions.
14. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 12 , wherein both ends are more flexible than the center portion.
15. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 12 , wherein at least one link in one of the end portions has a multiple turns.
16. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 12 , wherein at least one link in each of the end portions has a multiple turns.
17. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 12 , wherein at least one cylindrical ring in at least one end portion comprises valleys of uniform extent.
18. A flexible intravascular stent as defined in claim 12 , wherein at least one link in the center portion has a “U” profile.