Intravascular stents

Abstract

Stent designs for use in vessels, such as the carotid and coronary arteries, are disclosed. The stents consist of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common longitudinal stent axis and interconnected by one or more interconnecting members placed so that the stent is flexible in a longitudinal direction. The cylindrical elements form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis between alternating valley portions and peak portions. The interconnecting members are attached to the double-curved portions to connect a cylindrical element to an adjacent cylindrical element and interconnecting members are attached to the inverted double-curved portions to connect the cylindrical element to the other adjacent cylindrical element. The stent designs include both a six crown and an eight crown stent which exhibit flexibility and sufficient radial strength to support the vessel.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, comprising:
 a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending about a longitudinal stent axis and being substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;   wherein the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements are arranged in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis and form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions;   the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements alternate between a pattern of double-curved portions, inverted double-curved portions, and inverted Y-shaped portions, to form the body of the stent; and   a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements and connecting adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members of each alternating, inverted double-curved portion within each cylindrical element forming a continuous spine extending from one end of the stent to the other.   
     
     
         39 . The stent of  claim 38 , wherein the pattern includes six peak portions and six valley portions. 
     
     
         40 . The stent of  claim 39 , wherein the six peak portions comprise of three inverted double-curved portions and three inverted Y-shaped portions. 
     
     
         41 . The stent of  claim 39 , wherein the six valley portions comprise of six double-curved portions. 
     
     
         42 . The stent of  claim 38 , wherein each of the cylindrical elements are connected to an adjacent cylindrical element by three interconnecting members. 
     
     
         43 . The stent of  claim 38 , further including cylindrical elements located at both ends of the stent which have an alternating pattern of inverted double-curved portions and Y-shaped portions on one end and a pattern of alternating double-curved portions and inverted Y-shaped portions on the opposite end of the stent. 
     
     
         44 . The stent of  claim 38 , wherein the stent is made from a self-expanding material. 
     
     
         45 . A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen and expandable from a contracted condition to an expanded condition, comprising:
 a plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements, each cylindrical element having a circumference extending about a longitudinal stent axis and being substantially independently expandable in the radial direction;   wherein the plurality of adjacent cylindrical elements are arranged in alignment along the longitudinal stent axis and form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis containing a plurality of alternating valley portions and peak portions, the valley portions including alternating Y-shaped portions and double-curved portions, and the peak portions including alternating, inverted Y-shaped portions and inverted double-curved portions; and   a plurality of interconnecting members extending between the adjacent cylindrical elements and connecting adjacent cylindrical elements to one another, interconnecting members of each double-curved portion within each cylindrical element forming a continuous spine extending from one end of the stent to the other.   
     
     
         46 . The stent of  claim 45 , wherein each of the cylindrical elements include six peak portions and six valley portions. 
     
     
         47 . The stent of  claim 46 , wherein the six peak portions comprise of three inverted Y-shaped portions and three inverted double-curved portions. 
     
     
         48 . The stent of  claim 46 , wherein the six valley portions comprise of three Y-shaped portions and three double-curved portions. 
     
     
         49 . The stent of  claim 45 , wherein further including cylindrical elements located at both ends of the stent which have a pattern of alternating, inverted double-curved portions and Y-shaped portions on one end and a pattern of alternating double-curved and inverted Y-shaped portions on the opposite end of the stent. 
     
     
         50 . The stent of  claim 45 , wherein the stent is made from a self-expanding material. 
     
     
         51 - 56 . (canceled)