abstract |
The hinge stent (5) is a balloon expandable or self-expandable intravascular endo-prosthesis used for treatment of vascular injury. The hinge stent (5) is formed of a single stent section (20) or of multiple stent sections joined together. Each stent section (20) has a node (15), and strut (10) structure extending throughout in order to uncouple expansion forces of the stent (5) to hold a blood vessel outward from crush forces that resist the formation of an oval shape during a crush deformation. Each node (15) includes a hinge (23) which is joined via a transition region to a strut (15). The hinge (23) can bend in the direction of a uniformly curved surface of the stent (5) but not in the radial direction. The strut (10) can bend in the radial direction but not in the uniformly curved surface of the stent (5). The widths, lengths, and radial dimensions of the hinges (23), and struts (10) provide a balloon expandable hinge stent (5) that is non-crushable. |