Intravascular stent

1. A stent comprising:

A proximal end and a distal end,

a plurality of serpentine bands including a first substantially serpentine band and a second substantially serpentine band, the serpentine bands formed of interconnected expansion struts, each two interconnected circumferentially adjacent expansion struts forming an expansion strut pair having a closed end and an open end, the expansion struts of the first substantially serpentine band and the expansion struts of the second substantially serpentine band forming stepped notches along their lengths,

the first substantially serpentine band and the second substantially serpentine band connected by at least one connection member,

the connection member having a first end and a second end, the connection member extending from and connecting one expansion strut of an expansion strut pair of the first serpentine band to one expansion strut of an expansion strut pair of the second serpentine band,

wherein

the first end of the connection member forms a linear extension of the one expansion strut in the first serpentine band and extends adjacent to a closed end in the same direction as the one expansion strut in the first serpentine band, the first end extending further toward the proximal end of the stent than the closed end adjacent thereto, and

the second end of the connection member forms a linear extension of the one expansion strut in the second serpentine band and extends adjacent to a closed end in the same direction as one expansion strut in the second serpentine band, the second end extending further toward the distal end of the stent than the closed end adjacent thereto.

2. The stent of claim 1 wherein the connection member has a contralateral orientation.

3. The stent of claim 1 wherein the connection member has an intermediate section extending between the first and second ends, the intermediate section including a linear section.

4. The stent of claim 1 wherein the connection member has an intermediate section extending between the first and second ends of the connection member, a first end of the intermediate section curving away from the first end of the connection member, a second end of the intermediate section curving away from the second end of the connection member.

5. The stent of claim 1 comprising a plurality of cavities in the first serpentine band and a plurality of cavities in the second serpentine band.

6. A stent comprising:

A proximal end and a distal end,

a plurality of serpentine bands, the serpentine bands formed of interconnected expansion struts, a plurality of the expansion struts having stepped notches along the length of the respective expansion struts, each two interconnected circumferentially adjacent expansion struts forming an expansion strut pair having a closed end and an open end,

a plurality of connection members extending between the serpentine bands,

each connection member having a first end and a second end and extending from and connecting one expansion strut of an expansion strut pair of one serpentine band to one expansion strut of an expansion strut pair of another serpentine band,

wherein

the first end of each connection member forms a linear extension of one expansion strut in one serpentine band and extends adjacent to a closed end in the same direction as the one expansion strut in the one serpentine band, a channel formed between the first end of the one connection member and the closed end adjacent thereto, and

the second end of the connection member forms a linear extension of the one expansion strut in the another serpentine band and extends adjacent to a closed end in the same direction as the one expansion strut in the another serpentine band, a channel formed between the second end of the one connection member and the closed end adjacent thereto.

7. The stent of claim 6 wherein the connection members have a contralateral orientation.

8. The stent of claim 6 wherein the connection members have an intermediate section extending between the first and second ends, the intermediate section including a linear section.

9. The stent of claim 6 wherein the connection members have an intermediate section extending between the first and second ends of the connection member, a first end of the intermediate section curving away from the first end of the connection member, a second end of the intermediate section curving away from the second end of the connection member.

10. The stent of claim 6 comprising a plurality of cavities in the serpentine bands.

11. A stent comprising:

a plurality of expansion struts having stepped notches along their lengths, expansion struts adjacent one another connected to one another to form loops, the plurality of expansion struts including longer expansion struts and shorter expansion struts, and

connection members, each connection member having a first end extending from one expansion strut, a second end extending from another expansion strut and connecting two loops, wherein the first and second ends are circumferentially and longitudinally offset from one another.

12. The stent of claim 11 wherein the connection member have a contralateral orientation.

13. The stent of claim 11 wherein the connection members have an intermediate section extending between the first and second ends, the intermediate section including a linear section.

14. The stent of claim 11 wherein the connection members have an intermediate section extending between the first and second ends of the connection member, a first end of the intermediate section curving away from the first end of the connection member, a second end of the intermediate section curving away from the second end of the connection member.

15. The stent of claim 11 comprising a plurality of cavities in the expansion struts.

16. The stent of claim 1 , wherein the at least one connection member is connected to the stepped notch.

17. The stent of claim 6 , wherein the connection members are connected to the stepped notches.

18. The stent of claim 11 , wherein the connection members are connected to the stepped notches.