An absorbable endoluminal stent and method for preparing the same are provided in the present invention. The absorbable endoluminal stent comprises a stent body, a plurality of through holes formed in the stent body, and bioabsorbable polymeric materials filled in the through holes. When the stent is implanted into the blood vessels, damages on stent caused during crimping and expansion processes are reduced. Radical supporting force duration of stent is improved and mechanical properties of stent after implantation are guaranteed by compositing the materials in the through holes and materials of the stent body.

There is described an arteriovenous fistula stent, having a tubular body comprising a series of sinusoidal shaped struts along the length of the tubular body. A plurality of curvilinear connectors extend between and are attached to adjacent struts wherein a first end of a connector is attached to a distal face of a proximal strut apex and a second end of a connector is attached to a proximal face of a distal strut apex. A pair of unconnected strut apexes are between pairs of connected apexes. When the tubular body is in a stowed configuration a proximal aperture and a distal aperture are circular and when the tubular body is in a deployed configuration the distal aperture is oblong or ovoid. There is also described a method for inserting a stent for use in creation of an arteriovenous fistula by identifying a candidate artery and a candidate vein and dissecting the candidate vein. Next, inserting a stent into the vein and creating a breach in the candidate artery at a desired angle and location. Next, introducing the stent and vein into the candidate artery and forming the stent into a curvature angle selected to minimize turbulent blood flow in an anastomosis formed by the vein and the artery. Optionally, there is a step of fastening a distal portion of the start to the artery.

A growth stent and valve and methods for making and using the same. The growth stent and valve may be delivered to treat early stage congenital lesions, while expanding to adult vessel diameters. In selected embodiments, the growth stent and valve can comprise a frame and may have a covering on some portion to prevent blood flow through a wall of the frame. The growth stent and valve advantageously can maintain radial strength across an entire range of diameters necessary to treat a narrowed lesion from birth and childhood through adulthood as the vessels grow over the lifetime of a patient.

A stent for vascular interventions having a hybrid open cell geometry. Variants of the stent include bare metal stents and drug-eluting stents. Embodiments of the stent include end projections for radiopaque markers or a discontinuous partial radiopaque coating on low-stress or low-strain regions of the peripheral stent. The stents of the invention are characterized by having thin walls, nested rows of struts, high expansion ratio, high and uniform radial force over entire diametric size and length of device, crush resistance up to and including about 90% of its fully expanded diameter, high fatigue resistance and high corrosion resistance.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for customizing an elution rate of a stent. The stent includes a hollow strut that forms the stent, the hollow strut defining a lumenal space, a drug formulation disposed within the lumenal space of the hollow strut, and at least one side port for eluting the drug formulation in vivo. When the stent is in the radially expanded configuration the hollow strut is deformable from a first configuration that has a first elution rate for the drug formulation to a second configuration that has a second elution rate for the drug formulation. The second elution rate is faster than the first elution rate. The hollow strut deforms from the first configuration to the second configuration upon application of an applied pressure above a predetermined threshold.

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 includes a first section and a second section. The second section is aligned with the first section along a longitudinal axis of the stent. Each section includes a plurality of expandable modules and a plurality of bridging modules. Each expandable module includes a plurality of strut elements that join together at a plurality of apices. Each bridging module includes bridging elements that connect an apex of a first module with an apex of a second module. The plurality of expandable modules or the plurality of bridging modules in the first section are more radially stiff than the plurality of expandable modules or the plurality of bridging modules in the second section such that at least a portion of the first section is configured to be placed in a region of a vein subjected to physiologic compression.

A prosthesis is disclosed for placement across an ostium opening from a main body lumen to a branch body lumen. The prosthesis has a radially expansible support and a bifurcation traversing portion. The radially expansible support is configured to be deployed in at least a portion of the branch body lumen. The bifurcation traversing portion has a biostable portion having a first end and a second end. The first end is located adjacent to the radially expansible support. The bifurcation traversing portion also has a biodegradable portion having a first end coupled with the second end of the biostable portion. The biodegradable portion has a second end disposed at an end of the prosthesis opposite the radially expansible support. When deployed, the bifurcation traversing portion extends from the radially expansible support across a bifurcation and into a main body lumen such that the carina is supported thereby.

Apparatus and methods are described, including a stent configured to be placed in a lumen. The stent includes a generally cylindrical stent body including a plurality of struts, at least one electrode post protruding from the stent body, and a plurality of antenna posts protruding longitudinally from an end of the stent body. The antenna posts are longitudinally separated from the electrode post. An antenna is disposed annularly on the antenna posts, such that the antenna posts separate the antenna from the end of the stent body, and at least one electrode is coupled to the stent by being placed on the electrode post. Additional embodiments are also described.

A stent (scaffold) or other luminal prosthesis comprising circumferential structural elements which provide high strength after deployment and allows for scaffold to uncage, and/or allow for scaffold or luminal expansion thereafter. The circumferential scaffold is typically formed from non-degradable material and will be modified to expand and/or uncage after deployment.