Expandable intraluminal endoprosthesis

Abstract

An expandable intraluminal endoprosthesis including a tubular member ( 1 ) a first diameter which permits intraluminal delivery of the member into a lumen of a body passageway, particularly a blood vessel. The tubular member ( 1 ) is capable of acquiring a second, expanded and deformed diameter upon the application from the interior of the tubular member of a radially outwardly extending force, which second diameter is variable and dependent on the amount of the force applied to the tubular member. Such a tubular member may be expanded and deformed to expand the lumen of the body passageway. The wall of the tubular member includes a substantially continuous structure ( 2 ) of mutually staggered undulations. This structure has been separated from a tube wall and exhibits at lest one pattern which advances substantially helically along a longitudinal axis of the tubular member. Connection elements within the structure connect adjacent undulations to each other. These connection elements are an integral extension of the undulations thereby interconnected.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . A stent that expands under radial force from a first diameter to a second diameter, the stent comprising: 
 a first helical segment comprised of a plurality of filament segments arranged to form a first repeating pattern, the first helical segment having a first pitch;    a second helical segment comprised of a plurality of filament segments arranged to form a second repeating pattern, the second helical segment having a second pitch;    a plurality of struts adjoining the first and second helical segments, wherein the struts are an integral part of the first and second helical segments.    
   
   
       22 . The stent of  claim 21 , wherein: 
 the first and second helical segments each have a circumferential dimension parallel to the circumference of the stent; and    at a plurality of points along each segment, the circumferential dimension of that segment enlarges when the stent is expanded.    
   
   
       23 . A stent comprising: 
 a first end portion;    a second end portion;    a generally cylindrically shaped body disposed between the first and second end portions, the body comprised of: 
 a plurality of expandable elements, each expandable element comprising: 
 an undulating filament segment comprising: 
 a first filament portion;  
 a second filament portion;  
 a third filament portion;  
 a first peak having connecting the first filament portion to the second filament portion;  
 a first valley connecting the second filament portion to the third filament portion, wherein the first valley and first peak have substantially the same widths and wherein the first peak is connected to only the first and second filament portions and wherein the first valley is connected to only the second and third filament portions; and  
 
 
 a plurality of connecting elements having midpoints, the connecting elements joining at least one of the expandable elements to another of the expandable elements; and  
 wherein a first imaginary line connecting the midpoints of a first set of at least three of the connecting elements forms a first imaginary helical line in the body of the stent and wherein a second imaginary line connecting the midpoints of a second set of at least three of the connecting elements forms a second imaginary helical line in the body of the stent, the second imaginary helical line being substantially parallel to the first imaginary helical line.  
   
   
   
       24 . The stent of  claim 23 , wherein the first, second, and third filament portions of at least some of the expandable elements are substantially parallel to the cylindrical axis of the body of the stent,  
   
   
       25 . The stent of  claim 23 , wherein the expandable elements have the same general shape.  
   
   
       26 . The stent of  claim 25 , wherein the expandable elements have the same general size.  
   
   
       27 . The stent of  claim 25 , wherein the first, second, and third filament portions are substantially linear.  
   
   
       28 . The stent of  claim 25 , wherein the expandable elements are generally sinusoidal in shape.  
   
   
       29 . The stent of  claim 28 , wherein the first, second, and third filament portions are substantially linear.