Abstract: The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implanting in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen. The invention provides for an intravascular stent having a plurality of cylindrical rings connected by undulating links. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen. The stent can be compressed or crimped onto a catheter to a very low profile since the peaks that are adjacent the curved portion of the undulating link are shorter than other peaks in the same cylindrical ring to prevent overlap yet still achieve a very low profile, tightly crimped stent onto a catheter.

Abstract: An intravascular stent having struts which overlap, at least partially, when the stent is compressed. The overlapping struts allow the stent to be crimped to a smaller initial delivery diameter than may be achieved with non-overlapping designs for given metal density. The stent has a reduced delivery diameter which allows for the construction of reduced profile stent-delivery systems, which thereby allow for the stenting of smaller vessels than has heretofore been possible.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implanting in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen. The invention provides for an intravascular stent having a plurality of cylindrical rings connected by undulating links. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen. The stent can be compressed or crimped onto a catheter to a very low profile since the peaks that are adjacent the curved portion of the undulating link are shorter than other peaks in the same cylindrical ring to prevent overlap yet still achieve a very low profile, tightly crimped stent onto a catheter.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a stent that is relatively flexible along its longitudinal axis but can be crimped or reduced to a very low profile while maintaining the ability to expand radially outwardly to any number of diameters to support a body lumen such as a coronary artery. The stent includes a plurality of cylindrical rings connected to each other by links. The cylindrical rings have curved portions that are attached by arms having slits that, when expanded, form apertures or holes to permit the stent to be reduced to a very low profile for delivery purposes, yet be able to expand the stent to various diameters and to provide sufficient vessel wall coverage when implanted.