Stent for supporting lumens in living tissue

摘要

The disclosure relates to a stent (10) for helping to hold open a lumen in a tubular body structure having at least one axial portion (12a to 12e), preferably an axial end portion (12a or 12e) that stents the surrounding portion of the tubular body structure to a lesser degree than another axial portion (12c or 12d) of the stent. For example, the stent portion that stents to a lesser degree may be circumferentially weaker than the other stent portion, or it may recoil more than the other stent portion after the stent is applied by being circumferentially expanded and then released.