STENT WITH FLEXIBLE HINGES

摘要

A helical stent includes at least one helical winding (27). Each helical winding includes a plurality of alternating long struts (29) and short struts (31), ends of at least some of the long struts being joined to an end of an adjacent short strut by a flexible hinge arrangement (37), the struts being substantially rigid. The stent also includes at least one interconnection member (39) connecting a hinge arrangement on one turn of the at least one winding with a hinge arrangement on an adjacent turn of the at least one winding. Fewer than all hinge arangements on the at least one helical winding are connected to other hinge arrangements by an interconnection member.