MICROPOROUS STENT AND IMPLANTATION DEVICE

摘要

A radially expandable stent (10) and stent insertion device (12) for implanting the stent within a body passageway, such as an artery. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical bands (26) which support a surrounding microporous coating (58). Each of the cylindrical bands are formed from a plurality of undulating sections (42) which are configured to expand uniformly and to impart a uniform stress on the surrounding coating. A plurality of linking members (48) join each pair of adjacent cylindrical bands that are oriented in quadrature positions around each circumference and about the successive pairs of adjacent cylindrical bands. The stent insertion device includes a balloon catheter (12) designed to perform angioplasty as well as implant the stent. The catheter device includes a catheter body (64) having an angioplasty balloon (72) at its distal end. An outer sleeve (76) is slidably supported about the catheter body to deliver and mount the stent on the balloon after the angioplasty procedure is complete. A method for using the balloon catheter device of the present invention is also disclosed.