Process for manufacturing a braided bifurcated stent

1. A process for constructing a braided stent having at least two regions, each region comprising a discrete plurality of filaments, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) braiding first sections of a first discrete plurality of filaments to form a first region using a first braiding machine for accommodating at least a first number of bobbin carriers;

(b) braiding second sections of the first plurality of filaments together with a second discrete plurality of filaments to form the second region using a second braiding machine for accommodating at least a second number of bobbin carriers that is different from the first number.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises braiding second sections of the second plurality of filaments, the process further comprising the step of:

(c) braiding the first sections of the second discrete plurality of filaments to form a third region.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein step (c) comprises using the first braiding machine.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein step (c) comprises using a third braiding machine.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein step (c) comprises using a third braiding machine that accommodates a third number of bobbin carriers.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the first number is equal to the third number.

7. The process of claim 5 wherein the second number is equal to the first number plus the third number.

8. The process of claim 5 wherein the first number is less than a full capacity of the first braiding machine, the second number is less than a full capacity of the second braiding machine, and third number is less than a full capacity of the third braiding machine.

9. The process of claim 5 wherein each of the first number, the second number, and the third number are equivalent to a capacity of the respective braiding machine that produces a 1:1 braiding ratio.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein said first and third numbers of bobbin carriers is 12 and the second number of bobbin carriers is 24 .

11. The process of claim 2 , wherein each bobbin carrier is adapted to hold a bobbin having a filament wound thereon, a first plurality of bobbins is used in step (a), and a second plurality of bobbins is used in step Cc), the process further comprising: performing steps (a) and (c) before step (b).

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the first number is less than a full capacity of the first braiding machine and the second number is less than a full capacity of the second braiding machine.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein each of the first number and the second number are equivalent to a capacity of the respective braiding machine that produces a 1:1 braiding ratio.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein each bobbin carrier is adapted to hold a bobbin having a filament wound thereon, a first plurality of bobbins is used in step (a), and a second plurality of bobbins is used in step (c), the process further comprising: performing step (b) before steps (a) and (c).

15. The process of claim 1 comprising creating a bifurcated stent in which the first region comprises a first leg of the bifurcated stent and the second region comprises a body of the bifurcated stent.

16. The process of claim 2 comprising creating a bifurcated stent in which the first region comprises a first leg of the bifurcated stent, the third region comprises a second leg of the bifurcated stent, and the second region comprises a body of the bifurcated stent.

17. A braided stent prepared by the process of claim 16 .

18. The braided stent of claim 17 wherein each of the first region, the second region, and the third region comprise braided sections having a braid with a 1:1 ratio.

19. A braided stent prepared by the process of claim 1 .

20. The braided stent of claim 18 wherein each of the first region and the second region comprise braided sections having a braid with a 1:1 ratio.