| abstract |
An expandable stent (10) for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery (15), is disclosed. The stent (10) consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements (12) generally aligned on a common longitudinal stent axis and interconnected by one or more interconnecting members (13) placed so that the stent (10) is flexible in the longitudinal direction. The strength of the stent (10) at a center section (31C) or at either end (31A, 31B) can be varied by increasing the mass of the struts (17, 19) forming each cylindrical element (12) in that center section (31C) or end section (31A, 31B) relative to the lower mass struts (17, 19) in the remaining sections of the stent. Increasing the mass of the struts (17, 19) can be accomplished by, for a given strut thickness, increasing the width of the strut, or increasing the length of a cylindrical element (12). |