STENTS FOR BLOOD VESSELS

摘要

A stent for supporting part of a blood vessel which stent includes a supporting portion which can be placed within part of an intact blood vessel other than a graft so that the stent internally supports that part and the supporting portion of the stent is of a shape and/or orientation whereby flow within the vessel is caused to follow a non-planar curve. By maintaining non-planar curvature in the vessel itself, favourable blood flow velocity patterns can be achieved through generation therein of "swirl" flow. Failures in such vessels through diseases such as thrombosis, atherosclerosis, interminal hyperplasia or through blockage, kinking or collapse, can be significantly reduced.