| abstract |
An intravascular flexible permanent prosthesis (stent) for implantation in a body lumen such as an artery, consists of a plurality of radially expandable and deformable thin-walled ring elements aligned in a common longitudinal axis, and held together by interconnecting links so as to limit longitudinal expansion or contraction during radial deployment. The stent is delivered and expanded within a blood vessel by an angioplasty balloon catheter. The ring elements are formed of a series of hexagonal components or inverted hexagonal components, with elements of a series of hexagonal components preferably alternating with elements formed of a series of inverted hexagonal components. Each point of adjacent ring elements is adjoined by a pair of diametrically opposed links, whilst the succeeding pair of adjacent ring elements is adjoined by a pair of links which are diametrically opposed and located at an angle of 90° to the previous pair of links. In a variant, the prosthesis, for implantation where the luminal segment to be stented encompasses a bifurcation or a side branch, includes a lateral opening in the middle of the stent body, so that opening can be steered and aligned with the ostium of a bifurcation, using a specific delivery system composed of a balloon catheter (for expanding the stent after adequate positioning) and a steering catheter (to engage the side branch and align the lateral opening with the ostium of the side branch) which both extend in the stent, but with the latter's steering distal tip exiting through the lateral opening. |