Abstract: A graft prostheses (11), materials and method for implanting, transplanting, replacing, or repairing a part of a patient. The graft prosthesis includes a purified, collagen-based matrix structure removed from a submucosa tissue source. The submucosa tissue source is purified by disinfection and removal steps to deactivate and remove contaminants, thereby making the purified structure biocompatible and suitable for grafting on and/or in a patient.

Abstract: A stent (10) formed from cannula and having flexible segments (11) and high hoop strength segments (12) alternating therealong. Axial tie bars (21,22) interconnect the segments; minimal length reduction would occur upon expansion. In the high hoop strength segment (12), struts (16) are initially parallel in the unexpanded strut condition, while in the flexible segment (11), struts (14) extend from a respective bight (15) to converge at distal ends when unexpanded. In one embodiment, certain adjacent struts (16) of the hoop segment are spaced apart by a large gap (20) while others are spaced apart by a small gap (18). In another embodiment all the struts (16) of the hoop segment are spaced apart uniformly from each other (or from an axial tie bar) by a small gap (23), resulting in minimizing the occurrence of fatigue of high-stress sites upon expansion/contraction cycles from continuous pulsatile events.