Flexible stent with torque-absorbing connectors

Abstract

The present invention concerns an endoprosthesis with a highly flexible structure that is configured to provide an elevated degree of vessel scaffolding and to absorb torque applied on the endoprosthesis. In one embodiment, a method of deploying the endoprosthesis in a body lumen includes locating an endoprosthesis in a contracted delivery configuration in the body lumen, disposing the endoprosthesis in a location of the body lumen to receive the endoprosthesis in an expanded deployed configuration, and deploying the endoprosthesis to transition the endoprosthesis from the contracted delivery configuration to the expanded deployed configuration. The endoprosthesis includes a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings including a plurality of adjoined web elements and a plurality of junction bends adjoining pairs of the plurality of adjoined web elements, and S-shaped connectors for connecting the web rings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of deploying an endoprosthesis in a body lumen, the method comprising:
 positioning an endoprosthesis in a contracted delivery configuration in the body lumen, the endoprosthesis comprising:
 a plurality of web rings, each web ring including a plurality of web elements and a plurality of junction bends disposed between adjacent web elements of the plurality of web elements; and 
 a plurality of S-shaped connectors extending from the plurality of junction bends and between longitudinally spaced apart web rings of the plurality of web rings, at least three junction bends separating the junction bends from which adjacent S-shaped connectors extend; and 
   deploying the endoprosthesis to transition the endoprosthesis from the contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the S-shaped connector comprises a first segment, a second segment, and a central segment disposed between the first segment and the second segment, a junction between the first segment and the central segment being non-parallel to a junction between the second segment and the central segment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the junction between the first segment and the central segment and the junction between the second segment and the central segment are transverse to a longitudinal axis of the web rings. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the junction between the first segment and the central segment is tilted in a direction opposite the junction between the second segment and the central segment when in the expanded deployed configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein an angle between the first segment and the central segment, and the central segment and the second segment, is between about 45 and 135 degrees or about 100 and 170 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deploying the endoprosthesis comprises twisting the S-shaped connector as the endoprosthesis transitions from the contracted delivery configuration to the expanded deployed configuration. 
     
     
         7 . A method of deploying an endoprosthesis in a body lumen, the method comprising:
 locating an endoprosthesis in a contracted delivery configuration in the body lumen, the endoprosthesis comprises a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings defining an essentially tubular web structure, each web ring including a plurality of adjoined web elements and a plurality of junction bends adjoining pairs of the plurality of adjoined web elements, a junction bend in a first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a second junction bend in a neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by an S-shaped connector, the second junction bend being longitudinally offset from the first junction bend and being circumferentially offset from the first junction bend by a plurality of other junction bends of a plurality of junction bends of the neighboring web ring, the S-shaped connector having a plurality of segments disposed one in relation to the other in step-wise configuration;   disposing the endoprosthesis in a location of the body lumen to receive the endoprosthesis in an expanded deployed configuration; and   deploying the endoprosthesis to transition the endoprosthesis from the contracted delivery configuration to the expanded deployed configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the S-shaped connector comprises three segments, two segments of the three segments being essentially parallel, wherein deploying the endoprosthesis comprises translating one of the two essentially parallel segments relative to the other essentially parallel segments by application of a bending force on the essentially tubular web structure. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein deploying the endoprosthesis further comprises applying pressure to an interior surface of the essentially tubular web structure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein disposing the endoprosthesis comprises advancing the endoprosthesis through the body lumen. 
     
     
         11 . A method of deploying an endoprosthesis in a body lumen, the method comprising:
 positioning an endoprosthesis in a contracted delivery configuration in the body lumen, the endoprosthesis comprising:
 a plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings, each web ring including a plurality of adjoined web elements and a plurality of junction bends adjoining pairs of the plurality of adjoined web elements, 
 wherein, a junction bend in a first web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings is connected to a second junction bend in a neighboring web ring of the plurality of longitudinally adjacent web rings by an S-shaped connector, the first junction bend being separated from a third junction bend, from which another S-shaped connector extends, by at least three junction bends without an associated S-shaped connector; and 
   deploying the endoprosthesis to transition the endoprosthesis from the contracted delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the S-shaped connector comprises three segments, two segments of the three segments being essentially parallel, wherein the web rings are essentially tubular, wherein deploying the endoprosthesis comprises translating one of the two essentially parallel segments relative to the other essentially parallel segments by application of a bending force on the essentially tubular web rings. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein deploying the endoprosthesis further comprises applying pressure to an interior surface of the essentially tubular web rings. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein positioning the endoprosthesis comprises advancing the endoprosthesis through the body lumen. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the S-shaped connect comprises a plurality of segments disposed one in relation to the other in a step-wise configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a central segment of the plurality of segments within the connector is disposed in a direction essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the endoprosthesis. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the web elements comprises a central member having a first and a second ends, wherein the central member is disposed essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis in the contracted delivery configuration, wherein the central member is connected at the first end to a first end member at a first obtuse angle, and wherein the central member is connected at the second end to a second end member at a second obtuse angle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first and the second obtuse angles are essentially equal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the web elements of each web ring are nested one into the other in the contracted delivery configuration, and wherein the junction bends have an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the web elements in the first web ring are oriented at approximately 180 degrees in relation to the web elements in the neighboring web ring.