AN EXPANDABLE STENT

摘要

An expandable endovascular stent comprises a flexible, tubular body (1) with a longitudinal axis, the wall of which is formed by interconnected, closed lattice cells (2) arranged with at least two cells adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Filament--shaped lattice material capable of transmitting compressive forces in the axial direction of the filament extends continuously from one lattice cell directly into the lattice cell following in the longitudinal direction. The stent can be expanded from a radially compressed state into a radially expanded state having a larger diameter. In the expanded state of t he stent, the pressure transmitting lattice material in several of the lattice cells (2) forms a heart-like or arrowhead-like shape with at lea st two interconnected diverging, angle .beta. cell sides (5) positioned opposite to and interconnected with at least two mutually converging, angle .alpha. longer cell sides (3). For stability during expansion and compression of a self-expanding stent, the sum of the first angle .alpha. an d the second angle .beta. should be in the range of 345.degree. to 360.degree. , preferably at 360.degree. to maintain a constant axial stent length.