Stent adapted for tangle-free deployment

Claim 2

A stent capable of assuming both an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, the stent comprising: a first end and a second end; a plurality of bends comprising an apex interconnecting a first and a second strut, the apices of the plurality of bends located about at least one of the first end and the second end of the expandable stent; wherein the apices about the at least one of the first end and the second end are deformed into a fan blade-like arrangement when the stent is in the compressed condition and being viewed from the at least one of the first end and the second end, whereby each of the apices of the at least one of the first end and the second end are oriented at an angle with respect to the outer circumference of the stent, the angle being substantially the same for each of the apices of the at least one of the first end and the second end; and wherein the apices of the fan blade-like arrangement are such that the first strut of each of the plurality of bends overlaps the second strut of the adjacent one of the plurality of bends.

Claim 3

The stent of claim 1 wherein the apices comprising the fan blade-like arrangement are plastically deformed such that the angle of the apices is present in both the expanded and the compressed conditions of the stent.

Claim 4

The stent of claim 1 wherein the apices comprising the fan blade-like arrangement are elastically deformed such that the angle of the apices is present only in the compressed condition of the stent.

Claim 5

The stent of claim 1 wherein the stent comprises a zig-zag configuration.

Claim 6

The stent of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of struts that are interconnected by at least one of the plurality of bends.

Claim 7

The stent of claim 5 wherein the stent includes at least one barb located on one or more of the struts.

Claim 8

The stent of claim 1 wherein the stent further includes a tubular graft prosthesis attached thereto.

Claim 9

The stent of claim 7 wherein the second end of the stent is attached to the tubular graft prosthesis, while the first end remains at least partially uncovered by the tubular graft prosthesis with the fan blade-like arrangement comprising the first end of the stent.

Claim 10

The stent of claim 1 further including a delivery system that constrains the stent into the compressed condition.

Claim 11

The stent of claim 9 wherein the delivery system further includes a tubular component to constrain the first end of the stent.

Claim 12

The stent of claim 1 wherein the fan blade-like arrangement comprises both the first and the second ends of the stent.

Claim 13

The stent of claim 1 wherein the variation between the angles of the apices at the at least one of the first end and the second end is no more than 20°.

Claim 14

The stent of claim 1 wherein the angle of orientation of the apices is at least 50°.

Claim 15

An expandable graft prosthesis capable of assuming both an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, the graft prosthesis comprising: at least one expandable stent that includes a first end and a second end, the stent further including a plurality of bends comprising an apex interconnecting a first and a second strut, the apices of the plurality of bends located about at least one of the first end and the second end of the expandable stent; a tubular graft prosthesis attached to the at least one expandable stent such that the apices about the at least the first end and the second end of the expandable stent extend beyond an edge of the tubular graft prosthesis; wherein each of the apices about the at least one of the first end and the second end are configured in a fan blade-like arrangement when the stent is in the compressed condition and being viewed from the at least one of the first and the second end, whereby each of the apices of the at least one of the first end and the second end being are oriented at an angle with respect to the circumference of the stent, the angle being substantially the same for each of the apices at the at least one of the first end and the second end; and wherein the apices of the fan blade-like arrangement are such that the first strut of each of the plurality of bends overlaps the second strut of the adjacent one of the plurality of bends.

Claim 16

An expandable graft prosthesis capable of assuming both an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, the graft prosthesis comprising: at least one expandable stent that includes a first end and a second end, the stent further including a plurality of bends comprising an apex interconnecting a first and a second strut, the apices of the plurality of bends located about at least one of the first end and the second end of the expandable stent; a tubular graft prosthesis attached to the at least one expandable stent such that the apices about the at least the first end and the second end of the expandable stent extend beyond an edge of the tubular graft prosthesis; wherein each of the apices about the at least one of the first end and the second end are configured in a fan blade-like arrangement when the stent is in the compressed condition and being viewed from the at least one of the first and the second end, whereby each of the apices of the at least one of the first end and the second end being are oriented at an angle with respect to the circumference of the stent, the angle being substantially the same for each of the apices at the at least one of the first end and the second end; and wherein the apices of the fan blade-like arrangement are such that the first strut of each of the plurality of bends overlaps the second strut of the adjacent one of the plurality of bends.

Claim 17

The prosthesis of claim 14 wherein only the first end of the expandable stent comprises the fan blade-like arrangement.

Claim 18

The prosthesis of claim 14 wherein the device further includes a delivery system for constraining the expandable stent into the compressed condition.

Claim 19

The prosthesis of claim 16 wherein the delivery system further includes a tubular component to constrain the first end of the stent.

Claim 20

The stent of claim 14 wherein the variation between the angles of the apices at the at least one of the first end and the second end is no more than 20°.

Claim 21

The prosthesis of claim 14 wherein the angle of orientation of the plurality of apices is at least 50°.

Claim 22

The prosthesis of claim 14 wherein the angle of orientation comprising the fan blade-like arrangement is a result of plastic deformation of the apices such that the angle of the apices is present in both the expanded and the compressed conditions of the stent.

Claim 23

An expandable graft prosthesis capable of assuming both an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, the graft prosthesis comprising: at least one expandable stent that includes first end and a second end, the stent further including a zig-zag stent having plurality of bends comprising an apex interconnecting a first and a second strut, the bends terminating about either the first end and the second end of the expandable stent to form a plurality of apices; one or more outwardly projecting barbs attached to at least one of the first and second strut of at least selected ones of the plurality of bends; a tubular graft prosthesis attached to the expandable stent such that the apices at the first end of the expandable stent extend beyond the edge of the tubular graft prosthesis; a delivery system that constrains the expandable stent into the compressed condition; wherein each of the apices about the first end are configured in a fan blade-like arrangement when the stent is in the compressed condition and being viewed from the first end, whereby each of the apices of the first end are oriented at an angle with respect to the circumference of the stent, the angle being substantially the same for each of the apices at the first end; and wherein the apices of the fan blade-like arrangement are such that the first strut of each of the plurality of bends overlaps the second strut of the adjacent one of the plurality of bends.

Claim 24

An expandable graft prosthesis capable of assuming both an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, the graft prosthesis comprising: at least one expandable stent that includes first end and a second end, the stent further including a zig-zag stent having plurality of bends comprising an apex interconnecting a first and a second strut, the bends terminating about either the first end and the second end of the expandable stent to form a plurality of apices; one or more outwardly projecting barbs attached to at least one of the first and second strut of at least selected ones of the plurality of bends; a tubular graft prosthesis attached to the expandable stent such that the apices at the first end of the expandable stent extend beyond the edge of the tubular graft prosthesis; a delivery system that constrains the expandable stent into the compressed condition; wherein each of the apices about the first end are configured in a fan blade-like arrangement when the stent is in the compressed condition and being viewed from the first end, whereby each of the apices of the first end are oriented at an angle with respect to the circumference of the stent, the angle being substantially the same for each of the apices at the first end; and wherein the apices of the fan blade-like arrangement are such that the first strut of each of the plurality of bends overlaps the second strut of the adjacent one of the plurality of bends.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 further including a sixth step of removing the elongate constraining means from the plurality of apices.

Claim 28

The method of claim 23 , further including the steps between steps 3 and 4 comprising: 3a. Feeding the selected end of the elongate constraining means through the proximal end and into the passageway; and 3b. Feeding the selected end out of the passageway via a side passage through the wall of the tubular constraining device.

Claim 29

The method of claim 24 wherein step 4 further includes applying force to both the first and second ends of the elongate constraining means to draw the apices together into the fan blade-like arrangement.