| abstract |
A medical device for use in the interior of a body lumen includes a balloon catheter and a radially expandable stent. The stent includes a plurality of zig-zags of a low memory metal formed into a hollow, open-ended cylindrical shape. The individual zig-zags have a curved portion forming a reversing bend which allows the zig-zags to expand and deform as the balloon radially expands the stent. The curved portions of the zig-zags are aligned along the length of the stent in a spaced-apart arrangement with some curved portions attached and others unattached to adjacent zig-zags. The resulting stent is longitudinally flexible throughout its length when unexpanded and is also capable of conforming to a bend in the body lumen when expanded. |