A stent including a plurality of curved sections and a connector. The curved sections surround a longitudinal axis to define a tube portion and are distributed along the longitudinal axis to form a helix. The connector includes a bioresorbable material and is positioned between two adjacent curved sections. The stent has a spring constant that changes to a different spring constant after exposure to biological material.

Preferred embodiments of a stent with a high degree of flexibility are shown and described. The stent can include a continuous helical winding and at least one bridge. The continuous helical winding has a plurality of circumferential sections that circumscribe a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end to define a tube. The circumferential sections are spaced apart along the axis. The at least one bridge is configured to connect one circumferential section to an axially-spaced adjacent circumferential section. The at least one bridge extends on a plane generally orthogonal with respect to the axis.

A plaque tack can be used for holding plaque against blood vessel walls such as in treating atherosclerotic occlusive disease. The plaque tack can be formed as a thin, annular band for holding loose plaque under a spring or other expansion force against a blood vessel wall. Focal elevating elements and/or other features, such as anchors, can be used to exert a holding force on a plaque position while minimizing the amount of material surface area in contact with the plaque or blood vessel wall and reducing the potential of friction with the endoluminal surface. This approach offers clinicians the ability to perform a minimally invasive post-angioplasty treatment and produce a stent-like result without using a stent.

The present invention relates to tissue-supporting medical devices and drug delivery systems, and more particularly to tubular flexible stents that are implanted within a body lumen of a living animal or human to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The tubular flexible stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. At least one connector member extends between longitudinally adjacent helical windings of the band.

A method of braiding a stent includes braiding a number of elongate filaments around a mandrel using tensioned braiding carriers without spooling the filaments to the tensioned braiding carriers to form a braided stent having atraumatic ends.

To provide a stent delivery system configured to prevent twisting of a strut during expansion of a stent. A balloon has a plurality of limb portions folded at a plurality of folding pleats in a deflated state. The limb portions are folded in a first circumferential direction to surround the shaft as seen from a proximal end side of an axial direction of the shaft. The strut of the stent has helical portions formed in a helical shape extending along a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction as seen from the proximal end side of the axial direction with being centered on an axis extending along the axial direction of the shaft.

A tack device for holding plaque against blood vessel walls in treating atherosclerotic occlusive disease is formed as a thin, annular band of durable, flexible material having a plurality of focal elevating elements on its outer annular periphery for holding loose plaque under a spring or other expansion force against a blood vessel wall. The focal elevating elements are designed to exert a holding force on a plaque position while minimizing the amount of material surface area in contact with the plaque or blood vessel wall and reducing the potential of friction with the intraluminal surface. This approach offers clinicians the ability to perform a minimally invasive post-angioplasty treatment and produce a stent-like result without using a stent.

A tack device for holding plaque against blood vessel walls in treating atherosclerotic occlusive disease can be formed as a thin, annular band of durable, flexible material. The tack device may also have a plurality of barbs or anchoring points on its outer annular periphery. The annular band can have a length in the axial direction of the blood vessel walls that is about equal to or less than its diameter as installed in the blood vessel. A preferred method is to perform angioplasty with a drug eluting balloon as a first step, and if there is any dissection to the blood vessel caused by the balloon angioplasty, one or more tack devices may be installed to tack down the dissected area of the blood vessel surface, in order to avoid the need to install a stent and thereby maintain a stent-free environment.

Apparatus for delivering stents to body lumens include one or more tubular prostheses carried at the distal end of a catheter shaft, a sheath slidably disposed over the prostheses, and a guidewire tube extending from within the sheath to the exterior of the sheath through an exit port in a sidewall thereof. A guidewire extends slidably through the guidewire tube. The sheath can be moved relative to the catheter shaft and the guidewire tube to expose the prostheses for deployment. Methods of delivering stents are also provided.

A plaque tack can be used for holding plaque against blood vessel walls such as in treating atherosclerotic occlusive disease. The plaque tack can be formed as a thin, annular band for holding loose plaque under a spring or other expansion force against a blood vessel wall. Focal elevating elements and/or other features, such as anchors, can be used to exert a holding force on a plaque position while minimizing the amount of material surface area in contact with the plaque or blood vessel wall and reducing the potential of friction with the endoluminal surface. This approach offers clinicians the ability to perform a minimally invasive post-angioplasty treatment and produce a stent-like result without using a stent.