Intravascular stent

Abstract

A stent in a non-expanded state has a first column expansion strut pair. A plurality of the first column expansion strut pair form a first expansion column. A plurality of second column expansion strut pair form a second expansion column. A plurality of first serial connecting struts form a first connecting strut column that couples the first expansion column to the second expansion column. The first expansion column, the second expansion column, and the first connecting strut column form a plurality of geometric cells. At least a portion of the plurality are asymmetrical geometric cells.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A tubular stent in an unexpanded state configured to transform into a tapered tubular form when expanded and having a plurality of expansion columns and connector columns arranged along a longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane, comprising: 
 a plurality of unbroken expansion ring columns having expansion strut pairs, the plurality of expansion ring columns including an unbroken first expansion ring column made of a plurality of first expansion strut pairs each having a first expansion strut and an adjacent second expansion strut, and a second unbroken expansion ring column made of a plurality of second expansion strut pairs each having a first expansion strut and an adjacent second expansion strut, expansion strut pairs of each expansion ring column of the plurality of expansion ring columns having geometric configurations similar to the first expansion ring column or the second expansion ring column, each unbroken expansion ring column having a progressively narrower horizontal width from a proximal end to the distal end of the stent along the longitudinal axis and each unbroken expansion ring column having a same circumferential diameter, wherein expansion strut pairs in each unbroken expansion ring column have a progressively shorter length from one expansion ring column to a next expansion column from the proximal end to the distal end of the stent.    a plurality of connector columns that couple adjacent expansion columns, the plurality of connector columns including a first connector column that couples the first expansion column to the second expansion column, wherein each connector column of the plurality of connector columns having at least a first connector strut, and each first connector strut has at least a portion with a shaped configuration.    
     
     
         2 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the stent is tapered when nominally expanded.  
     
     
         3 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein a tapered stent has progressively reduced cell geometry.  
     
     
         4 . The stent of  claim 3 , wherein the progressively reduced cell geometry has a progressive reduction of the cell size.  
     
     
         5 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein each expansion ring column has a horizontal column width and a circumferential diameter.  
     
     
         6 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein a circumferential diameter of all expansion ring columns have same dimension through out the entire longitudinal length of the stent.  
     
     
         7 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein a horizontal length of the expansion strut pair and a horizontal column width of the expansion ring column have identical dimensions in an expansion ring column.  
     
     
         8 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein a horizontal length of the expansion strut pairs and a horizontal column width of the expansion ring column have identical dimensions in each expansion ring column of plurality of expansion ring columns of the stent.  
     
     
         9 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein an expansion ring column at the proximal end of the stent has the widest horizontal column width.  
     
     
         10 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein an expansion ring column at the distal end of the stent has the narrowest horizontal column width.  
     
     
         11 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein each expansion ring column located between the proximal end and distal end of the stent has a progressively narrower horizontal column width.  
     
     
         12 . The stent of  claim 11 , wherein a progressive narrowing of the horizontal column width of expansion ring columns have a constant rate of reduction.  
     
     
         13 . The stent of  claim 11 , wherein a progressive narrowing of the horizontal column width of expansion ring columns have a variable rate of reduction.  
     
     
         14 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the stent has the longest horizontal length of expansion strut pairs.  
     
     
         15 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the stent has the shortest horizontal length of expansion strut pairs.  
     
     
         16 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein each expansion ring column between the proximal end and distal end has progressively shorter horizontal length of expansion strut pairs.  
     
     
         17 . The stent of  claim 16 , wherein a progressive shortening of a horizontal length of expansion strut pairs has a constant rate of reduction.  
     
     
         18 . The stent of  claim 16 , wherein a progressive shortening of a horizontal length of expansion strut pairs has a variable rate of reduction.  
     
     
         19 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the stent is delivered to a target vessel site mounted on a matching delivery catheter.  
     
     
         20 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the stent is expanded in a vessel site with a matching tapered balloon.  
     
     
         21 . Stent  claim 20 , wherein an optimally expanded tapered stent in a vessel has a similar tapering as a natural taper of the vessel lumen.  
     
     
         22 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapering of the stent is at least in a portion of the stent.  
     
     
         23 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapering of the stent is at least in a proximal portion of the stent.  
     
     
         24 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapering of the stent is at least in a distal portion of the stent.  
     
     
         25 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapering of the stent is at least in a middle portion of the stent.  
     
     
         26 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapering of the stent includes all portions of the stent.  
     
     
         27 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein a tapered stent is a balloon expanded stent.  
     
     
         28 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein a tapered stent is a self-expanding stent.  
     
     
         29 . The stent of  claim 1 , wherein a tapered stent is a partially self-expanding stent.  
     
     
         30 . A tubular stent in unexpanded state configured to transform into a tapered tubular form when expanded and having a plurality of expansion columns and connector columns arranged along a longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane, comprising: 
 a plurality of expansion ring columns having expansion strut pairs, the plurality of expansion ring columns including an unbroken first expansion ring column made of a plurality of first expansion strut pairs each having a first expansion strut and an adjacent second expansion strut, and a second unbroken expansion ring column made of a plurality of second expansion strut pairs each having a first expansion strut and an adjacent second expansion strut, wherein expansion strut pairs of each expansion ring column of the plurality of expansion ring columns have geometric configurations similar to the first expansion ring column or the second expansion ring column, each unbroken expansion ring column having a progressively narrower horizontal width from a proximal to a distal end of the stent along the longitudinal axis of the stent and each unbroken expansion ring column having a same circumferential diameter, wherein expansion strut pairs in each unbroken expansion ring column have a progressively shorter length from one expansion ring column to a next ring column from the proximal end to the distal end of the stent.    a plurality of connector columns that couple adjacent expansion columns, the plurality of connector columns including a first connector column that couples the first expansion column to the second expansion column, wherein each connector column of the plurality of connector columns having at least a first connector strut, each first connector strut and connector column having a horizontal dimension and at least a portion of each first connector strut having a shaped configuration.    
     
     
         31 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein all connector columns have identical horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         32 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein all connector struts have identical horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         33 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in the proximal end connector column has the longest horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         34 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in the distal end connector column has the shortest horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         35 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein a connector column in the proximal end has the longest horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         36 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein a connector column in the distal end has the shortest horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         37 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector columns between the proximal end and distal end have a progressively longer horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         38 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector columns between the proximal end and distal end have a progressively shorter horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         39 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in connector columns between the proximal end and distal end has a progressively longer horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         40 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in connector columns between the proximal end and distal end has a progressively shorter horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         41 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns between the proximal end and distal end has a progressively longer horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         42 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns between the proximal end and distal end has a progressively shorter horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         43 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns in the proximal end of the stent has a progressively longer horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         44 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns in the proximal end of the stent has a progressively shorter horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         45 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns in the distal end of the stent has a progressively longer horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         46 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns in the distal end of the stent has a progressively shorter horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         47 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns in the middle of the stent has a progressively longer horizontal dimension.  
     
     
         48 . The stent of  claim 30 , wherein connector struts in at least some connector columns in the middle of the stent has a progressively shorter horizontal dimension.