NZ331235A - Intravascular, expandable, cylindrical stent having attachment means extending away from a distal end thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An intravascular stent 10, for implanting in a body lumen (e.g. for repairing an aortic aneurysm), comprises a plurality of cylindrical elements (rings 12) which are independently expandable in the radial direction and which are interconnected so as to be aligned on a common longitudinal axis, a plurality of connecting elements 14 for interconnecting elements 12, and attachment means, e.g. hooks 20, at the distal end of the stent for attaching the stent to the body lumen. Elements 14 are configured to interconnect only the cylindrical elements 12 that are adjacent to each other so that the stent, when expanded in the radial direction, retains its overall length without appreciable shortening. The stent may be formed from a single piece of tubing or from a flat sheet of material and rolled into a cylindrical configuration. The stent may be formed from a biocompatible material, e.g. stainless steel, tantalum or a thermoplastic polymer. One stent 10 may be affixed to each end of an expandable tubular graft