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StentRelated Patent Categories: Prosthesis (i.e., Artificial Body Members), Parts Thereof, Or Aids And Accessories Therefor, Arterial Prosthesis (i.e., Blood Vessel), Stent Structure, Having Multiple Connected BodiesStent description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070150050, Stent. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The use of stents in bodily lumen is well known. A stent is typically delivered in an unexpanded state to a desired location in a bodily lumen via a stent delivery device such as a catheter. Once the stent is at the desired bodily location, it is either expanded with a balloon or other suitable device or allowed to expand by, for example, withdrawing a restraining sheath. Typically, the stent is delivered bare to the body. During the past several years, however, there has been a great deal of interest in drug-coated stents. Specifically, a number of drug-coated stents have been developed which allow for time-release of a drug. These stents are believed to offer the possibility of reduced restenosis. The presence of drug-coatings on stents, however, presents new challenges in the area of stent design. Conventional bare stent designs may prove difficult to coat uniformly because of the proximity of different structural features. [0002] There is a need for flexible stents that are designed to be coated with drugs. [0003] All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. [0004] Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below. [0005] A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a stent comprising a plurality of serpentine circumferential bands, and a plurality of connector columns. Each connector column is located between two adjacent circumferential bands and comprises one or more connector struts. Each connector strut is connected at one end to one serpentine circumferential band and at another end to another serpentine circumferential band. Each connector strut further comprises step and riser elements. Desirably each connector strut comprises only two step sections and no more than three riser elements. [0007] In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a stent comprising a plurality of serpentine circumferential bands comprising alternating peaks and troughs, and a plurality of connector columns. Each connector column is located between two adjacent circumferential bands and includes a plurality connector struts. Typical connector struts within a connector column are distributed such that between each peak on one serpentine circumferential band and a facing trough on an adjacent serpentine circumferential band, there are at least three different connector struts. [0008] Additional details and/or embodiments of the invention are discussed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0009] FIG. 1a shows a flat pattern of an inventive stent. [0010] FIG. 1b shows an expanded view of a connector strut of FIG. 1a. [0011] FIG. 2 shows the stent of FIG. 1 in a crimped state, such as crimped onto a balloon. [0012] FIG. 3 shows the stent of FIG. 1 in a crimped state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0013] While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are described in detail herein specific embodiments of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. [0014] For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in the figures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated. [0015] In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a stent such as that shown generally at 100 in FIG. 1a, having a first free end 104 and a second free end 108, comprising a plurality of serpentine circumferential bands 112, and a plurality of connector columns 120. Each serpentine circumferential band 112 may form a plurality of alternating peaks and troughs. Each connector column 120 is located between two adjacent serpentine circumferential bands 112 and comprises one or more connector struts 124. Each connector strut 124 is connected at one end 128 to one serpentine circumferential band and at another end 132 to another serpentine circumferential band. [0016] Each connector strut 124 may further be comprised of one or more. step sections 136 and one or more risers 140. The step sections 136 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stent 100, and the risers 140 may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent 100. Thus, the connector struts 124 may be characterized as forming stair-steps. The connector struts 124 may further be characterized as being substantially straight with a jog therein. [0017] Optionally, the step sections 136 may be slanted or arranged at a slight to moderate angle to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stent 100. Likewise, the risers 140 may be arranged at a slight to moderate angle to the longitudinal axis of the stent 100. Slanted step sections 136 and risers 140 are depicted in FIGS. 1a-3. [0018] As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which depict an embodiment of the stent 100 in a crimped, unexpanded state, such as about an expansion balloon or catheter, the risers 140 may act to space the step sections 136 laterally with respect to each other. In the embodiment shown, there are three different connector struts 124 located between each peak on one serpentine circumferential band 112 and a facing trough on an adjacent serpentine circumferential band 112. Thus, each connector strut 124 contacts two circumferentially adjacent connector struts 124. Further, adjacent connector struts 124 define a substantially parallelogram shaped space 142 bounded by two risers 140 and two step sections 136. This provides the stent 100 with added flexibility in bending about the length of the stent 100 while still retaining structural rigidity against compressive axial forces. [0019] Lateral spacing S of the step sections 136 is directly affected by the length of the risers 140 and the angle formed between the risers 140 and the step sections 136. While lateral spacing of the step sections 136 may be set to any practical configuration, the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 utilizes a lateral spacing S in the unexpanded state of approximately four times the width W of the step sections 136. [0020] A further benefit of the risers 140, and the subsequent lateral spacing of the step sections 136, may be realized when the present stent 100 is used with a coating, such as a drug coating. Because adjacent step sections 136 are not in lateral contact with each other for a substantial portion of their length, coatings may be applied more uniformly to the entire surface area of the stent 100. The lateral spacing helps to assure that the sides of the step sections 136 are properly coated. Continue reading about Stent... Full patent description for Stent Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Stent patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Stent or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Stent Next Patent Application: Vascular implants and methods of fabricating the same Industry Class: Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or aids and accessories therefor ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Stent patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.74533 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Accenture , Agouron Pharmaceuticals , Amgen , AT&T , Bausch & Lomb , Callaway Golf 174 |
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