Stent
An illustrative stent may comprise an elongated tubular member having a first end and a second end and an intermediate region disposed therebetween. The elongated tubular member configured to move between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The elongated tubular member may comprise at least one twisted filament, such as a knitted filament having a plurality of twisted knit stitches with intermediate rung portions extending between adjacent twisted knit stitches, or a plurality of helical filaments twisted with a plurality of longitudinal filaments.
1. A stent, the stent comprising:
an elongated tubular member comprising at least one knitted filament having a plurality of twisted knit stitches with intermediate rung portions extending between adjacent twisted knit stitches, each twisted knit stitch including a twisted loop, the elongated tubular member configured to move between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;
wherein in the collapsed configuration the plurality of twisted knit stitches have a first profile and in the expanded configuration the plurality of twisted knit stitches have a second profile different from the first profile;
wherein a length of the intermediate rung portions in the collapsed configuration is less than a length of the intermediate rung portions in the expanded configuration.
2. The stent of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of twisted knit stitches are each suspended from a twisted knit stitch in a preceding row.
3. The stent of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of twisted knit stitches each include a loop portion and an overlapping base region.
4. The stent of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of twisted knit stitches are each suspended from an intermediate rung portion of a preceding row.
5. The stent of claim 1 , wherein the elongated tubular member comprises a plurality of rows, wherein some of the plurality of rows have a first number of twisted knit stitches and some of the plurality of rows have a second number of twisted knit stitches less than the first number of twisted knit stitches.
6. The stent of claim 1 , wherein the elongated tubular member has at least a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a lower radial force in the expanded configuration than the first portion.
7. A stent, the stent comprising:
an elongated tubular member comprising a plurality of knitted rows, each row including a plurality of loops having a loop portion and a twisted base with intermediate rung portions extending between adjacent loops, the elongated tubular member configured to move between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;
wherein at least some of the plurality of loops are each suspended from the twisted base of a loop in a preceding row.
8. The stent of claim 7 , wherein a length of the intermediate rung portions in the collapsed configuration is less than a length of the intermediate rung portions in the expanded configuration.
9. The stent of claim 7 , wherein the elongated tubular member has at least a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a lower radial force in the expanded configuration than the first portion.
10. The stent of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the plurality of loops are each suspended from an intermediate rung portion of a preceding row.
11. The stent of claim 7 , wherein some of the plurality of rows have a first number of loops and some of the plurality of rows have a second number of loops less than the first number of loops.
12. A stent, the stent comprising:
an elongated knitted tubular member formed of a single filament comprising a plurality of knitted rows, each row including a plurality of loops of the filament having a twisted base portion in which a first segment of the filament crosses a second segment of the filament and a loop portion located between the first segment and the second segment, with intermediate rung portions of the filament extending between adjacent loops, the elongated tubular member configured to move between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein a length of the intermediate rung portions in the collapsed configuration is less than a length of the intermediate rung portions in the expanded configuration.
13. The stent of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the plurality of loops are each suspended from the twisted base portion of a loop in a preceding row.
14. The stent of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the plurality of loops are each suspended from an intermediate rung portion of a preceding row.
15. The stent of claim 12 , wherein some of the plurality of knitted rows have a first number of loops and some of the plurality of knitted rows have a second number of loops less than the first number of loops.