The stent of the present invention combines a helical strut band interconnected by coil elements. This structure provides a combination of attributes that are desirable in a stent, such as, for example, substantial flexibility, stability in supporting a vessel lumen, cell size and radial strength. The structure of the stent of the present invention provides a predetermined geometric relationship between the helical strut band and interconnected coil elements in order to maintain connectivity at any diameter size state of the stent.
1. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
a helical strut band helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut band comprising a wave pattern of strut elements, said wave pattern having a plurality of peaks on either side of said wave pattern; and
a plurality of coil elements helically wound about an axis of said stent, said coil elements progressing in the same direction as said helical strut band, said coil elements connecting at least some of said strut elements of said helical strut band through or near said peaks of said strut elements,
wherein the number of said strut elements of said helical strut band between said coil elements as said helical strut band progresses around said stent (NSC) is greater than the number of said strut elements in one circumference winding of said helical strut band plus one (N+1) and a geometric relationship triangle is constructed having a first side with a leg length L C being the effective length of said coil element between connected said strut elements, a second side with a leg length being the circumferential distance between said strut elements connected by said coil element divided by the sine of the acute angle A S of said helical strut member measured from a longitudinal axis of said stent, a third side with a leg length being the longitudinal distance said helical strut band progresses in 1 circumference winding (Pl) minus the effective strut length L S , a first angle of said first leg being 180 degrees minus said angle A S , a second angle of said second leg being the acute angle A C of said coil element measured from said longitudinal axis and a third angle of said third leg being said angle A S minus said angle A C ,
wherein a coil-strut ratio is a ratio (N S * L C /L S ) of said first leg length L C to length of said effective strut length L S multiplied by the number of adjacent said wave pattern of strut elements forming said helical strut band, N S , is greater than or equal to about 1.
2. The stent of claim 1 wherein said coil-strut ratio is greater than 2.0.
3. A self expanding flexible stent comprising:
a helical strut band helically wound about an axis of said stent, said helical strut band comprising a wave pattern of strut elements, said wave pattern having a plurality of peaks on either side of said wave pattern; and
a plurality of coil elements helically wound about an axis of said stent, said coil elements progressing in the same direction as said helical strut band, said coil elements connecting at least some of said strut elements of said helical strut band through or near said peaks of said strut elements,
wherein the number of said strut elements of said helical strut band between said coil elements as said helical strut band progresses around said stent (NSC) is greater than the number of said strut elements in one circumference winding of said helical strut band plus one (N+1) and a geometric relationship triangle is constructed having a first side with a leg length L C being the effective length of said coil element between connected said strut elements, a second side with a leg length being the circumferential distance between said strut elements connected by said coil element divided by the sine of the acute angle A s of said helical strut member measured from a longitudinal axis of said stent, a third side with a leg length being the longitudinal distance said helical strut band progresses in 1 circumference winding (Pl) minus the effective strut length L s , a first angle of said first leg being 180 degrees minus said angle A S , a second angle of said second leg being the acute angle A C of said coil element measured from said longitudinal axis and a third angle of said third leg being said angle A S minus said angle A C .