STENTS HAVING RADIOPAQUE MESH
A stent including a mesh made of strands. The mesh has at least one radiopaque strand and at least one non-radiopaque strand, and the at least one radiopaque strand and the at least one non-radiopaque strand each have different diameters. Each strand has an index of wire stiffness EI, where EI is the mathematical product of the Young's modulus (E) and the second moment of area (I). The EI of all strands in the mesh is no more than five times the EI of the strand having the smallest EI of any of the strands.
1 - 31 . (canceled)
32 . A method, comprising:
expanding, against a wall of a vessel in a body of a patient, a stent comprising a mesh, the mesh comprising at least one first strand and at least one second strand, the at least one first strand being more radiopaque than the at least one second strand, the at least one second strand and the at least one first strand each having different cross-sectional dimensions, and wherein each of the strands has an index of wire stiffness EI, where EI is the mathematical product of the Young's modulus (E) and the second moment of area (I), and wherein the EI of each of the strands is no more than five times the EI of a strand having the smallest EI of any of the strands.
33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein expanding the stent comprises delivering the stent out of a catheter.
34 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising using fluoroscopy to visualize the stent in the vessel.
35 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising injecting radiopaque contrast media into the vessel to visualize an anatomy of the patient.
36 . The method of claim 32 , wherein expanding the stent comprises positioning a mouth of the stent proximal to a side branch vessel.
37 . The method of claim 32 , wherein each strand has a round cross-section.
38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the mesh comprises only two types of strands, a first type comprising the at least one first strand and having a cross-sectional dimension D 1 and a second type comprising the at least one second strand and having a cross-sectional dimension D 2 , wherein the cross-sectional dimension D 2 is greater than the cross-sectional dimension D 1 , and wherein the cross-sectional dimension D 2 is no more than 1.5 times the cross-sectional dimension D 1 .
39 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the Young's modulus of the first strand and the Young's modulus of the second strand differ by 20 percent or more.
40 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the EI of each of the strands is no more than four times the EI of a strand having the smallest EI of any of the strands.
41 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the mesh comprises pores and when the mesh is at rest in free space no pore has an area more than 1.2 times the mesh pore size, the mesh pore size being the average area of five pores serially adjacent to the pore.
42 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the at least one first strand is an alloy of platinum and tungsten and the at least one second strand comprises nickel.
43 . A method comprising:
expanding, against a wall of a vessel in a body of a patient, a stent comprising a mesh, the mesh comprising at least one radiopaque strand and at least one non-radiopaque strand, the at least one radiopaque strand and the at least one non-radiopaque strand each having different cross-sectional dimensions, and wherein each of the strands has an index of wire stiffness EI, where EI is the mathematical product of the Young's modulus (E) and the second moment of area (I), and wherein the EI of each of the at least one non-radiopaque strands is no more than five times the EI of each of the at least one radiopaque strands.
44 . The method of claim 43 , wherein expanding the stent comprises delivering the stent out of a catheter.
45 . The method of claim 43 , further comprising using fluoroscopy to visualize the stent in the vessel.
46 . The method of claim 43 , further comprising injecting radiopaque contrast media into the vessel to visualize an anatomy of the patient.
47 . The method of claim 43 , wherein expanding the stent comprises positioning a mouth of the stent proximal to a side branch vessel.
48 . The method of claim 43 , wherein each strand has a round cross-section.
49 . The method of claim 48 , wherein the mesh comprises only two types of strands, a first type comprising the at least one radiopaque strand and having a cross-sectional dimension D 1 and a second type comprising the at least one non-radiopaque strand and having a cross-sectional dimension D 2 , wherein the cross-sectional dimension D 2 is greater than the cross-sectional dimension D 1 , and wherein the cross-sectional dimension D 2 is no more than 1.5 times the cross-sectional dimension D 1 .
50 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the Young's modulus of the radiopaque strand and the Young's modulus of the non-radiopaque strand differ by 20 percent or more.
51 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the mesh comprises more non-radiopaque strands than radiopaque strands.
52 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the EI of each of the strands is no more than four times the EI of a strand having the smallest EI of any of the strands.
53 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the mesh comprises pores and when the mesh is at rest in free space no pore has an area more than 1.2 times the mesh pore size, the mesh pore size being the average area of five pores serially adjacent to the pore.
54 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the at least one radiopaque strand is an alloy of platinum and tungsten and the at least one non-radiopaque strand comprises nickel.
55 . A method comprising:
expanding, against a wall of a vessel in a body of a patient, a stent comprising a mesh, the mesh comprising at least one first strand and at least one second strand, the at least one first strand being more radiopaque than the at least one second strand, the at least one second strand and the at least one first strand each having different cross-sectional dimensions, and wherein each of the strands has an index of wire stiffness EI, where EI is the mathematical product of the Young's modulus (E) and the second moment of area (I), and wherein the EI of each of the at least one second strand is no more than five times the EI of one of the at least one first strand.
56 . The method of claim 55 , wherein expanding the stent comprises delivering the stent out of a catheter.
57 . The method of claim 55 , further comprising using fluoroscopy to visualize the stent in the vessel.
58 . The method of claim 55 , further comprising injecting radiopaque contrast media into the vessel to visualize an anatomy of the patient.
59 . The method of claim 55 , wherein expanding the stent comprises positioning a mouth of the stent proximal to a side branch vessel.
60 . The method of claim 55 , wherein each strand has a round cross-section.
61 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the mesh comprises only two types of strands, a first type comprising the at least one first strand and having a cross-sectional dimension D 1 and a second type comprising the at least one second strand and having a cross-sectional dimension D 2 wherein the cross-sectional dimension D 2 is greater than the cross-sectional dimension D 1 , and wherein the cross-sectional dimension D 2 is no more than 1.5 times the cross-sectional dimension D 1 .
62 . The method of claim 55 , wherein the Young's modulus of the first strand and the Young's modulus of the second strand differ by 20 percent or more.
63 . The method of claim 55 , wherein the EI of each of the at least one second strand is no more than four times the EI of one of the at least one first strand.
64 . The method of claim 55 , wherein the mesh comprises pores and when the mesh is at rest in free space no pore has an area more than 1.2 times the mesh pore size, the mesh pore size being the average area of five pores serially adjacent to the pore.
65 . The method of claim 55 , wherein the at least one first strand is an alloy of platinum and tungsten and the at least one second strand comprises nickel.