Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue-supporting medical devices and drug delivery systems, and more particularly to tubular flexible stents that are implanted within a body lumen of a living animal or human to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The tubular flexible stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. At least one connector member extends between longitudinally adjacent helical windings of the band.

Abstract: Various embodiments for a composite endovascular device (and variations thereof) that include an inner polymer structure and an outer thin-film shape memory structure. The inner polymer structure extends from a distal end to a proximal end along a longitudinal axis. The outer thin-film shape-memory structure has an inner thin-film surface coupled to the outer surface of the inner polymer structure from the distal end to the proximal end with a retrieval member at the proximal end to allow for the prosthesis to be retrieved after placement in a body vessel. The inner polymeric structure can be blended with a suitable bio-active agent or the agent can be loaded into the pores. The device can be permanent or temporary by virtue of being retrievable.

Abstract: A biocompatible material may be configured into any number of implantable medical devices including intraluminal stents. Polymeric materials may be utilized to fabricate any of these devices, including stents. The stents may be balloon expandable or self-expanding. The polymeric materials may include additives such as drugs or other bioactive agents as well as radiopaque agents. By preferential mechanical deformation of the polymer, the polymer chains may be oriented to achieve certain desirable performance characteristics. The stent has a plurality of hoop components interconnected by a plurality of flexible connectors. The hoop components are formed as a continuous series of substantially longitudinally or axially oriented radial strut members and alternating substantially circumferentially oriented radial arc members. The geometry of the struts and arcs is such that when the stent is expanded, it has very high strains within a relatively small region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue-supporting medical devices and drug delivery systems, and more particularly to tubular flexible stents that are implanted within a body lumen of a living animal or human to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The tubular flexible stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. At least one connector member extends between longitudinally adjacent helical windings of the band.

Abstract: Various embodiments for an endovascular device (and variations thereof) that prevents focalized edge (or end) restenosis. In particular, these improvements would mitigate or prevent focalized restenosis at the ends of the device. The designed-in restenotic regions would be circumferentially and axially distributed so that graft patency is not compromised.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue-supporting medical devices and drug delivery systems, and more particularly to tubular flexible stents that are implanted within a body lumen of a living animal or human to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The tubular flexible stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. At least one connector member extends between longitudinally adjacent helical windings of the band.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tubular stents that are implanted within a body lumen. The stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a proximal helical section, a distal helical section and an intermediate ring section there between. Each of the proximal and distal helical sections has of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band, the band being wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings, wherein the distal helical section is wound about the longitudinal axis in the opposite direction from the proximal helical section. The intermediate ring section includes a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form an endless ring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue-supporting medical devices and drug delivery systems, and more particularly to tubular flexible stents that are implanted within a body lumen of a living animal or human to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The tubular flexible stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. At least one connector member extends between adjacent windings.

Abstract: Various embodiments for a composite endovascular device (and variations thereof) that include an inner polymer structure and an outer thin-film shape memory structure. The inner polymer structure extends from a distal end to a proximal end along a longitudinal axis. The outer thin-film shape-memory structure has an inner thin-film surface coupled to the outer surface of the inner polymer structure from the distal end to the proximal end with a retrieval member at the proximal end to allow for the prosthesis to be retrieved after placement in a body vessel. The inner polymeric structure can be blended with a suitable bio-active agent or the agent can be loaded into the pores. The device can be permanent or temporary by virtue of being retrievable.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to expandable intraluminal medical devices for use within a body passageway or duct, and more particularly to an optimized stent having asymmetrical strut and loop members, wherein at least one pair adjacent radial strut members have unequal axial lengths.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue-supporting medical devices and drug delivery systems, and more particularly to tubular flexible stents that are implanted within a body lumen of a living animal or human to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The tubular flexible stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. At least one connector member extends between adjacent windings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tubular stents that are implanted within a body lumen. The stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a proximal helical section, a distal helical section and an intermediate ring section there between. Each of the proximal and distal helical sections has of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band, the band being wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings, wherein the distal helical section is wound about the longitudinal axis in the opposite direction from the proximal helical section. The intermediate ring section includes a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form an endless ring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue-supporting medical devices and drug delivery systems, and more particularly to tubular flexible stents that are implanted within a body lumen of a living animal or human to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The tubular flexible stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. At least one connector member extends between longitudinally adjacent helical windings of the band.

Abstract: A biocompatible material may be configured into any number of implantable medical devices including intraluminal stents. Polymeric materials may be utilized to fabricate any of these devices, including stents. The stents may be balloon expandable or self-expanding. The polymeric materials may include additives such as drugs or other bioactive agents as well as radiopaque agents. By preferential mechanical deformation of the polymer, the polymer chains may be oriented to achieve certain desirable performance characteristics. The stent has a plurality of hoop components interconnected by a plurality of flexible connectors. The hoop components are formed as a continuous series of substantially longitudinally or axially oriented radial strut members and alternating substantially circumferentially oriented radial arc members. The geometry of the struts and arcs is such that when the stent is expanded, it has very high strains within a relatively small region.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to expandable intraluminal medical devices for use within a body passageway or duct, and more particularly to an optimized stent having asymmetrical strut and loop members, wherein at least one pair adjacent radial strut members have unequal axial lengths.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to expandable intraluminal medical devices for use within a body passageway or duct, and more particularly to an optimized stent having asymmetrical strut and loop members. In one embodiment of the invention the stent includes one or more members each having at least one component. The component has non-uniform cross-sections to achieve near-uniform stress distribution along the component when the component undergoes deformation.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to expandable intraluminal medical devices for use within a body passageway or duct, and more particularly to an optimized stent having asymmetrical strut and loop members and the method for designing and optimizing said strut and loop members in a continuously variable fashion. In one embodiment of the invention the resulting stent includes one or more members each having at least one component. The component has non-uniform cross-sections to achieve near-uniform stress distribution along the component when the component undergoes deformation.