Implantable medical devices for reduced tissue inflammation

Abstract

Implantable medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. An example implantable medical device may include a stent having a first configuration and a second expanded configuration. The stent may define a plurality of nodes. The stent may have a cover member disposed adjacent the nodes. The cover member may be configured to cover at least some of the nodes when the stent is in the expanded configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implantable stent, comprising:
 a stent body having an unexpanded configuration and an expanded configuration;   wherein the stent body includes a plurality of struts, wherein adjacent struts are joined together at nodes;   wherein at least one of the nodes forms a cover member extending axially to a first end of the stent body, the cover member projecting laterally over adjacent nodes in the unexpanded configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The implantable stent of  claim 1 , wherein the stent body includes one or more radiopaque node loops, wherein each radiopaque node loop is attached to one of the nodes. 
     
     
         3 . The implantable stent of  claim 2 , wherein each radiopaque node loop is attached directly to one of the nodes. 
     
     
         4 . The implantable stent of  claim 2 , wherein the stent body includes a first radiopaque node loop and a second radiopaque node loop, and wherein the cover member is disposed between the first radiopaque node loop and the second radiopaque node loop. 
     
     
         5 . The implantable stent of  claim 4 , wherein the stent body further includes at least one additional node disposed between the first radiopaque node loop and the second radiopaque node loop. 
     
     
         6 . The implantable stent of  claim 2 , wherein each radiopaque node loop extends from its node axially toward the first end of the stent body. 
     
     
         7 . The implantable stent of  claim 1 , wherein in the expanded configuration, the cover member is disposed between adjacent nodes without overlapping the adjacent nodes. 
     
     
         8 . The implantable stent of  claim 1 , wherein the cover member has a rounded shape. 
     
     
         9 . The implantable stent of  claim 1 , wherein the cover member has an ovoid shape. 
     
     
         10 . An expandable stent, comprising:
 a stent body having a plurality of strut members joined at peaks and valleys formed by adjacent strut members;   wherein the peaks of the stent body form a plurality of nodes including a first node, a second node, and a third node;   wherein the second node forms a cover member attached to the plurality of strut members between the first node and the third node;   wherein the cover member extends axially away from the peaks in a direction opposite the valleys.   
     
     
         11 . The expandable stent of  claim 10 , wherein the cover member is an enlarged loop directly attached to a first strut member and a second strut member at opposing ends of the cover member;
 wherein the cover member has a first portion extending in a first circumferential direction and a second portion extending in a second circumferential direction opposite the first circumferential direction;   wherein in an unexpanded configuration of the expandable stent, the first portion extends circumferentially beyond the first node in the first direction and the second portion extends circumferentially beyond the third node in the second direction.   
     
     
         12 . The expandable stent of  claim 11 , wherein in an expanded configuration of the expandable stent, the first portion extends circumferentially beyond the first node in the first direction and the second portion extends circumferentially beyond the third node in the second direction. 
     
     
         13 . The expandable stent of  claim 11 , wherein in an expanded configuration of the expandable stent, the first portion does not extend circumferentially beyond the first node in the first direction and the second portion does not extend circumferentially beyond the third node in the second direction 
     
     
         14 . The expandable stent of  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of radiopaque node loops extending from some of the peaks in the direction opposite the valleys. 
     
     
         15 . An expandable stent having a first end and a second end, comprising:
 a stent body having a plurality of strut members joined at peaks and valleys formed by adjacent strut members to define a plurality of stent sections extending circumferentially about the stent body;   wherein successive peaks of each stent section form a plurality of nodes including a first node, a second node, a third node, a fourth node, and a fifth node;   wherein the first node and the fifth node each include a radiopaque node loop extending therefrom toward the first end of the expandable stent;   wherein the third node forms a cover member extending toward the first end of the expandable stent;   wherein the cover member extends circumferentially over the second node and the fourth node in an unexpanded configuration.   
     
     
         16 . The expandable stent of  claim 15 , wherein the cover member extends further toward the first end of the expandable stent than the radiopaque node loops. 
     
     
         17 . The expandable stent of  claim 15 , wherein the fifth node of a first stent section forms the first node of an adjacent second stent section. 
     
     
         18 . The expandable stent of  claim 15 , wherein the cover member extends circumferentially over the second node and the fourth node in an expanded configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The expandable stent of  claim 15 , wherein the radiopaque node loops are spaced apart from the cover member. 
     
     
         20 . The expandable stent of  claim 15 , wherein the cover member extends circumferentially over the first node and the fifth node in the unexpanded configuration.