Articulated expandable intraluminal stent

Abstract

The present invention includes: an expandable, tubular shaped prosthesis having first and second ends and a wall surface disposed between the first and second ends, the wall surface being formed by a plurality of intersecting elongate members; and a catheter, having an expandable, inflatable portion associated therewith and including means or mounting and retaining the expandable tubular shaped prosthesis on the expandable, inflatable portion, whereby upon inflation of the expandable, inflatable portion of the catheter, the prosthesis is formed radially outwardly into contact with the body passageway. The articulation in the form of a rounded wire frame loop connects similar stent bodies. Also, rounded open connectors and shortened cells in the stent allow for greater flexibility.

In the claims:  
     
         1 . A tubular stent comprising a generally slotted tube wherein a plurality of slots are spaced around the circumference of a cylindrical member, forming a mesh like configuration around said cylindrical member, and wherein said slots are variable in length.  
     
     
         2 . A generally tubular stent having a longitudinal axis and containing a plurality of struts arranged circumferentially around a cylinder, and only a predetermined number but less than all of the adjacent ones of said struts connected by connecting members placed at angles generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical member to form slots therein and wherein certain slots formed by said struts are not closed.  
     
     
         3 . A cylindrical stent having a plurality of elongate struts connected by a plurality of circumferentially arranged members, and said circumferentially arranged members generally forming a rectangular shaped configurations about said stent, and wherein a predetermined number certain of said rectangular shaped configurations but less than all of said configurations are completely closed so that the remainder of the rectangular shaped configurations have openings therein.  
     
     
         4 . A stent containing a plurality of open cells and a plurality of closed cells, said open cells formed by adjacent elongate connectors connected at one end by a connecting member and not connected at a second end, and a closed cell formed by an elongate connecting member adjacent to second elongate connecting member and said first and second elongated connecting members connected by first and second connecting members.  
     
     
         5 . The stent of  claim 4  wherein a plurality of open connecting is concentrated, on one side of the stent to encourage bending in a predetermined direction.  
     
     
         6 . A pair of stents connected by a connecting member, said connecting member forming a spiral such that said spiral can be expanded both radially and circumferentially.  
     
     
         7 . The stent of  claim 6  wherein said spiral is wave form.  
     
     
         8 . The connector of stent of  claim 7  wherein said spiral is generally linear in shape.  
     
     
         9 . The stent of  claim 1  wherein at least one slot is about 1½ to 3 times the length of another slot.  
     
     
         10 . The stent of  claim 2  wherein at least one slot is about 1½ to 3 times the length of another slot.  
     
     
         11 . The stent of  claim 3  wherein at least one slot is about 1½ to 3 times the length of another slot.  
     
     
         12 . The stent of  claim 4  wherein at least one slot is about 1½ to 3 times the length of another slot.