Stent having reduced axial shrinkage upon radial expansion

Abstract

An intraluminal stent includes pluralities of first and second wire segments made from a soft malleable alloy formed into a cylindrical structure. Each of the wire segments is defined by a series of sinusoidal bends formed over the length of each segment, with the initial unformed length of each second wire segment being larger than that of each first wire segment. Each of the first and second wire segments include the same number of sinusoidal bends with the amplitude of the of the sinusoidal bends of the second wire segments being larger than that of the sinusoidal bends of the first wire segments. Adjacent wire segments are conjoined by welds at apices of each sinusoidal bend to form the cylindrical or tubular structure. The first wire segments can form a center portion of the stent and the second wire segments can be provided at either or both ends of the stent, enabling minimized axial shrinkage when the stent is radially expanded from an initial to an expanded diameter and in which the second wire segment at the terminal end of the stent is caused to outwardly flare significantly relative to the remainder of a radially expanded stent.