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.

Devices that can be delivered into a vascular system to divert flow are disclose herein. According to some embodiments, devices are provided for treating aneurysms by diverting flow. An expandable device can comprise, for example, first a plurality of strut regions and a plurality of bridge regions. Each of the bridge regions may connect a first strut of a first strut region to a second strut of a second strut region. The first strut region may comprise a first plurality of apices defining a first circumferential plane, and the second strut region may comprise a second plurality of apices defining a second circumferential plane. A first curved segment of the bridge may extend across the first circumferential plane towards the first strut region, and a second curved segment of the bridge may extend across the second circumferential plane towards the second strut region.

Implantable medical grafts fabricated of metallic or pseudometallic films of biocompatible materials having a plurality of microperforations passing through the film in a pattern that imparts fabric-like qualities to the graft or permits the geometric deformation of the graft. The implantable graft is preferably fabricated by vacuum deposition of metallic and/or pseudometallic materials into either single or multi-layered structures with the plurality of microperforations either being formed during deposition or after deposition by selective removal of sections of the deposited film. The implantable medical grafts are suitable for use as endoluminal or surgical grafts and may be used as vascular grafts, stent-grafts, skin grafts, shunts, bone grafts, surgical patches, non-vascular conduits, valvular leaflets, filters, occlusion membranes, artificial sphincters, tendons and ligaments.

A stent (32) configured to be placed in a body lumen and having a tubular shape formed by a structure that is expandable and contractible skeleton (18, 19) in a radial direction, the skeleton (18, 19) having a heteromorphic structure due to changes of a cross section shape thereof in a thickness direction. A stent (10) that is expandable and contractible in the radial direction while being configured to be placed in a body lumen, the stent (10) having a heteromorphic tubular shape, a cross section shape of which changes in a lengthwise direction, and having a metal skeleton (18, 19) formed by at least one of electroforming and etching.

A stent has a circumference and a plurality of members that define a lumen. The stent has three stable states, which include an unexpanded state, a partially deployed state, and a deployed state. The lumen has a first cross-sectional shape in the unexpanded state, a second cross-sectional shape in the partially deployed state and a third cross-sectional shape in the deployed state. The first cross-sectional shape of the lumen is different from the second and third cross-sectional shapes of the lumen, and the first cross-sectional shape of the lumen is a non-round shaped cross-sectional shape.

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.

Devices that can be delivered into a vascular system to divert flow are disclosed herein. According to some embodiments, devices are provided for treating aneurysms b diverting flow. An expandable device can comprise, for example, a plurality of strut regions and a plurality of bridge regions. Each of the strut regions may extend circumferentially about the expandable device and include a plurality of struts. Each of the plurality of bridge regions may be attached to and extend between two of the strut regions and comprise a plurality first bridges and second bridges that intersect one another and are movable relative to one another at their intersections.

An implantable medical device that is fabricated from materials that present a blood or body fluid or tissue contact surface that has controlled heterogeneities in material constitution. An endoluminal stent-graft and web-stent that is made of a monolithic material formed into differentiated regions defining structural members and web regions extending across interstitial spaces between the structural members. The endoluminal stent-graft is characterized by having controlled heterogeneities at the blood flow surface of the stent.

Device, system and method for fabricating a stent, the device including a reservoir that provides a supply of particles; an appliance having a high pressure generator that generates a particle beam from the supply of particles; a transport conduit that transports the particle beam; and a nozzle connected to the transport conduit that jets the particle beam outward from the device, where the nozzle is configured for insertion into a stent.

A stent (32) configured to be placed in a body lumen and having a tubular shape formed by a structure that is expandable and contractible skeleton (18, 19) in a radial direction, the skeleton (18, 19) having a heteromorphic structure due to changes of a cross section shape thereof in a thickness direction. A stent (10) that is expandable and contractible in the radial direction while being configured to be placed in a body lumen, the stent (10) having a heteromorphic tubular shape, a cross section shape of which changes in a lengthwise direction, and having a metal skeleton (18, 19) formed by at least one of electroforming and etching.