Tubular stent consists of chevron-shape expansion struts and contralaterally attached diagonal-connectors

Abstract

A circumferentially connected stent in a non-expanded state with a longitudinal axis, includes a first expansion column strut pair having a first expansion strut, a second expansion strut with a joining strut. The first expansion column strut pair defines a chevron shaped slot, and a plurality of the first expansion strut pair forms a first expansion column. A second expansion column strut pair includes a first expansion strut, a second expansion strut and a joining strut. The second expansion column strut pair defines a chevron shaped slot, and a plurality of the second expansion strut pair forms a second expansion column. A first serial connecting strut column is formed of a plurality of first connecting struts, and the first connecting strut column couples the first expansion column to the second expansion column.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A circumferentially connected stent in a non-expanded state with a longitudinal axis, comprising: 
 a first expansion column strut pair including a first expansion strut, a second expansion strut and a joining strut, the first expansion column strut pair defining a chevron shaped slot, a plurality of the first expansion strut pair forming a first expansion column;    a second expansion column strut pair including a first expansion strut, a second expansion strut and a joining strut, the second expansion column strut pair defining a chevron shaped slot, a plurality of the second expansion strut pair forming a second expansion column; and    a first serial connecting strut column formed of a plurality of first connecting struts, the first connecting strut column coupling the first expansion column to the second expansion column.    
     
     
         2 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein each of the first expansion column strut pair and the second expansion column strut pair define a quasi-chevron shaped slot.  
     
     
         3 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein the first and second expansion columns and the first connecting strut column form asymmetric cells.  
     
     
         4 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein the first and second expansion struts of the first and second expansion columns each have a first section and a second section.  
     
     
         5 . The stent of    claim 4   , wherein the first and second sections of the first expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair are coupled with a stepped bridge section, and the first and second sections of the first expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair are coupled with a stepped bridge section.  
     
     
         6 . The stent of    claim 5   , wherein the first and second sections of the second expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair are coupled to form a first apex, and the first and second sections of the second expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair are coupled to form a second apex.  
     
     
         7 . The stent of    claim 6   , wherein the first apeces of the first expansion column all extend in a same direction.  
     
     
         8 . The stent of    claim 6   , wherein the second apeces of the second expansion column all extend in a same direction.  
     
     
         9 . The stent of    claim 6   , wherein the first and second apeces extend in opposite directions.  
     
     
         10 . The stent of    claim 6   , wherein the first section of the first expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair and the first section of the second expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair are separated by a first length, and the second section of the first expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair and the second section of the second expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair are separated by a second length, wherein the first length is greater than the second length.  
     
     
         11 . The stent of    claim 4   , wherein the first section of the first expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second section of the first expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair.  
     
     
         12 . The stent of    claim 11   , wherein the second section of the first expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first section of the first expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair.  
     
     
         13 . The stent of    claim 12   , wherein the first section of the second expansion strut in the first expansion column strut pair has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second section of the second expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair.  
     
     
         14 . The stent of    claim 13   , wherein the second section of the second expansion strut in the first expansion column strut pair has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first section of the second expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair.  
     
     
         15 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein each of the first serial connecting struts has a proximal portion with a proximal stem, a distal portion with a distal stem and an intermediate portion that couples the proximal and distal portions.  
     
     
         16 . The stent of    claim 15   , wherein the intermediate portion of the first serial connecting strut diagonally couples the proximal and distal portions.  
     
     
         17 . The stent of    claim 15   , wherein the first serial connecting strut contralaterally couples the second section of the second expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair to the first section of the first expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair.  
     
     
         18 . The stent of    claim 15   , wherein the proximal stem of the first serial connecting strut is coupled to a side of the second section of the second expansion strut of the first expansion column strut pair.  
     
     
         19 . The stent of    claim 18   , wherein the proximal stem of the first serial connecting strut is coupled to the side of the second section of the second expansion strut at a connect angle of 85° or greater, wherein the connect angle is formed closest to the apex.  
     
     
         20 . The stent of    claim 18   , wherein the proximal stem of the first serial connecting strut is coupled to the side of the second section of the second expansion strut at a connect angle of about 90° or greater, wherein the connect angle is formed closest to the apex.  
     
     
         21 . The stent of    claim 18   , wherein the distal portion of the first serial connecting strut is coupled to a side of the first section of the first expansion strut of the second expansion column strut pair.  
     
     
         22 . The stent of    claim 21   , wherein the distal stem of the first serial connecting strut is coupled to the side of the first section of the first expansion strut at a connect angle of 85° or greater, wherein the connect angle is formed closest to the stepped bridge.  
     
     
         23 . The stent of    claim 21   , wherein the distal stem of the first serial connecting strut is coupled to the side of the first section of the first expansion strut at a connect angle of about 90° or greater, wherein the connect angle is formed closest to the stepped bridge.  
     
     
         24 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein a ratio of a number of expansion struts in an expansion strut column to a number of serial connecting struts in a connecting strut column is 2 to 1.  
     
     
         25 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein the stent includes m first and second expansion columns, n expansion struts per column and n (m−1)/2 serial connecting struts.  
     
     
         26 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein the first and second expansion columns are each unbroken, continuous structures.  
     
     
         27 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein a portion of the plurality of first expansion strut pairs in the first expansion column are coupled by the plurality of first serial connecting struts to a portion of the plurality of second expansion strut pairs of the second expansion column.  
     
     
         28 . The stent of    claim 27   , wherein a portion of the plurality of first expansion strut pairs in the first expansion column are not coupled by the plurality of first serial connecting struts to a portion of the plurality of second expansion strut pairs of the second expansion column.  
     
     
         29 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein a portion of the plurality of first serial connecting struts have different widths.  
     
     
         30 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein a width of a portion of the expansion struts in the first expansion column is substantially the same as a width of a portion of the first connecting struts in the first serial connecting strut column.  
     
     
         31 . The stent of    claim 1   , wherein a width of the expansion struts in the first expansion column is different from the widths of the plurality of first connecting struts in the first serial connecting strut column.  
     
     
         32 . A stent in a non-expanded state, comprising: 
 a first expansion column formed of a plurality of first expansion column strut pairs, a first expansion strut pair including a first expansion strut coupled to an adjacent second expansion strut, a second expansion strut pair including a third expansion strut coupled to the second expansion strut, and a third expansion strut pair including a fourth expansion strut coupled to the third expansion strut;    a second expansion column formed of a plurality of second expansion column strut pairs, a first expansion strut pair including a first expansion strut coupled to an adjacent second expansion strut, a second expansion strut pair including a third expansion strut coupled to the second expansion strut, and a third expansion strut pair including a fourth expansion strut coupled to the third expansion strut;    a first connecting strut column formed of a plurality of connecting struts including a first connecting strut coupling a side of the second expansion strut of the first expansion column to a side of the first expansion strut of the second expansion column, and a second expansion strut coupling a side of the fourth expansion strut in the first expansion column to a side of the third expansion strut of the second expansion column; and    a third expansion column formed of a plurality of third expansion column strut pairs, a first expansion strut pair including a first expansion strut coupled to an adjacent second expansion strut, a second expansion strut pair including a third expansion strut coupled to the second expansion strut, and a third expansion strut pair including a fourth expansion strut coupled to the third expansion strut, each of the expansion strut pairs of the first, second and third expansion columns having a chevron geometric configuration; and    a second connecting strut column formed of a plurality of connecting struts including a first connecting strut coupling a side of the second expansion strut of the second expansion column to a side of the second expansion strut of the third expansion column, and a second connecting strut coupling a side of the fourth expansion strut of the second expansion column to a side of the fourth expansion strut of the third expansion column.    
     
     
         33 . The stent of    claim 32   , wherein each of the expansion strut pairs of the first, second and third expansion columns has a quasi-chevron geometric configuration.  
     
     
         34 . The stent of    claim 32   , wherein in the first expansion column a first joining strut couples distal ends of the first and second expansion struts, a second joining strut couples proximal ends of the second and third expansion struts, and a third joining strut couples distal ends of the third and fourth expansion struts.  
     
     
         35 . The stent of    claim 34   , wherein in the second expansion column a first joining strut couples proximal ends of the first and second expansion struts, a second joining strut couples distal ends of the second and third expansion struts, and a third joining strut couples proximal ends of the third and fourth expansion struts.  
     
     
         36 . The stent of    claim 35   , wherein in the third expansion column a first joining strut couples proximal ends of the first and second expansion struts, a second joining strut couples distal ends of the second and third expansion struts, and a third joining strut couples proximal ends of the third and fourth expansion struts.  
     
     
         37 . The stent of    claim 35   , wherein the second and third expansion struts and the second joining strut of the first expansion column define a first slot, and the second and third expansion struts and the second joining strut of the second expansion column define a second slot.  
     
     
         38 . The stent of    claim 36   , wherein in the first expansion column the second and third expansion struts, the second and third joining struts, in the second expansion column the second and third expansion struts, the first and second joining struts, and in the first connecting strut column the first and second expansion struts, all collectively define a first cell.  
     
     
         39 . The stent of    claim 37   , wherein the first cell has an asymmetric geometric configuration.  
     
     
         40 . The stent of    claim 37   , wherein in the second expansion column the third and fourth expansion struts and the third joining strut define a third slot.  
     
     
         41 . The stent of    claim 40   , wherein the second slot is positioned adjacent to the third slot.  
     
     
         42 . The stent of    claim 40   , wherein in the second expansion column the third and fourth expansion struts, the second and third joining struts, in the third expansion column the second and third expansion struts, and the second and third joining struts, and in the second connecting strut column the first and second connecting struts, all collectively define a second cell.  
     
     
         43 . The stent of    claim 42   , wherein the second cell has an asymmetric geometric configuration.  
     
     
         44 . The stent of    claim 42   , wherein each of the first and second cells have chevron shaped slots formed at a cell proximal end and a cell distal end.  
     
     
         45 . The stent of    claim 42   , wherein each of the first and second cells have quasi-chevron shaped slots formed at a cell proximal end and a cell distal end.