| abstract |
An expandable stent is implanted in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen. The stent includes a plurality of rings connected by 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 links are integrally formed from a portion of the struts forming the rings. The stent is constructed so that the cylindrical rings are very close together in order to provide maximum scaffolding, and if the stent has a drug coating, to provide a uniform drug delivery over the length of the stent. The connecting links are integrally formed from a portion of the struts forming the rings so that the links can have a maximum length thereby providing increased longitudinal flexibility of the stent. |