Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A stent for deployment within a vessel of a human body comprising: a generally tubular, thin-walled, metal structure having a longitudinal axis, the stent including a multiplicity of longitudinal structures each lying generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent and having a surface plating of a high density metal, the high density metal being at least 5 microns in thickness on at least some portion of the surface of each longitudinal structure; and, the stent also having generally circumferential metal wires connected to the longitudinal structures, said wires being plated with said dense metal to a lesser thickness as compared to a greater thickness of dense metal thickness on the longitudinal structures.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
A stent for deployment within a vessel of a human body comprising: a generally tubular, thin-walled, metal structure having a longitudinal axis, the stent including a multiplicity of longitudinal structures each lying generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent and having a surface plating of a high density metal, the high density metal being at least 5 microns in thickness on at least some portion of the surface of each longitudinal structure; and, the stent also having generally circumferential metal wires connected to the longitudinal structures, said wires being plated with said dense metal to a lesser thickness as compared to a greater thickness of dense metal thickness on the longitudinal structures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein most of the metal of the stent is a stainless steel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein most of the metal of the stent is a shape memory alloy.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The stent of claim 3 wherein the shape memory alloy is Nitinol.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the thickness of the plating on the longitudinal structures is at least twice the thickness of the plating on the generally circumferential wires that are connected to the longitudinal structures.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein all structures and wires of the stent are plated on all surfaces with the high density metal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein the high density metal plating on the longitudinal structures is gold.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein the stent includes two longitudinal structures.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein the stent includes four longitudinal structures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein a radioisotope material is placed within the metal of the stent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The stent of claim 1 wherein at least some portion of the stent includes a radioisotope material.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for determining if a stent is properly deployed within a vessel of a human body, the method comprising the following steps: (a) fabricate a thin-walled cylindrical stent having a longitudinal axis, the stent being radiopaque along at least one pair of generally longitudinal structures that are each parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical stent; (b) deploy the at least one pair of radiopaque structures of the stent outward against the vessel wall; and, (c) observe by fluoroscopy if each longitudinal structure of the at least one pair of radiopaque longitudinal structures remains generally parallel to the other line of that pair of radiopaque lines.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for determining if a stent is properly deployed within a vessel of a human body, the method comprising the following steps: (a) fabricate a thin-walled cylindrical stent having a longitudinal axis, the stent being radiopaque along at least one pair of generally longitudinal structures that are each parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical stent; (b) deploy the at least one pair of radiopaque structures of the stent outward against the vessel wall; and, (c) observe by fluoroscopy if each longitudinal structure of the at least one pair of radiopaque longitudinal structures remains generally parallel to the other line of that pair of radiopaque lines.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
88 words
A stent for deployment within a vessel of a human body comprising a generally tubular, thin-walled metal structure consisting of at least two different sets of wire-like structures, the at least two sets including a first set of wire-like structures and a second set of wire-like structures, all sets of wire-like structures being plated with a high density metal with the first set of wire-like structures having a thickness of plating that is at least twice the thickness of the plating of the second set of wire-like structures.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
88 words
A stent for deployment within a vessel of a human body comprising a generally tubular, thin-walled metal structure consisting of at least two different sets of wire-like structures, the at least two sets including a first set of wire-like structures and a second set of wire-like structures, all sets of wire-like structures being plated with a high density metal with the first set of wire-like structures having a thickness of plating that is at least twice the thickness of the plating of the second set of wire-like structures.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The stent of claim 13 wherein most of the metal of the stent is a stainless steel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The stent of claim 13 wherein most of the metal of the stent is a shape memory alloy.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The stent of claim 15 wherein the shape memory alloy is Nitinol.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The stent of claim 13 wherein the high density metal plating on the wire-like structures is gold.