Carbon coated tubular endoprosthesis

Claim 1

A generally tubular endoprosthesis, comprising: a generally cylindrical metallic body member having an inside lumen surface and outside surface means for engaging and for reinforcing a collapsing, partially occluded, weakened or abnormally dilated section of a blood vessel, said generally cylindrical metallic body member being an elongated flexible metallic strand which is configured into a plurality of generally circumferential strand sections which are continuous with one another; an underlayer of rigid beads sintered to each other and to said elongated flexible metallic strand, which sintered rigid beads provide a flexible, porous, textured surface having a network of interconnected pores; a pyrolytic amorphous carbon layer coating said underlayer of sintered rigid beads and said elongated flexible metallic strand and flexing therewith said flexible, porous, textured surface of the rigid beads supporting said pyrolytic amorphous carbon layer coating such that said pyrolytic amorphous carbon layer coating overlies said rigid beads and said network of interconnected pores and generally follows the contour of the rigid beads and the network of interconnected pores; said generally cylindrical metallic body member, said underlayer of rigid beads and said pyrolytic amorphous carbon layer coating cooperate to define an antithrombogenic and flexible generally tubular endoprosthesis having pore means for promoting ingrowth of tissue thereinto during implantation of the endoprosthesis; and said underlayer of rigid beads and said pyrolytic amorphous carbon layer coating substantially covering at least said outside surface means to thereby restrain said elongated flexible metallic strand in the event of fracture of one or more sections of the elongated metallic strand.