Inventors:
James Hong - San Jose CA
Timothy A. Limon - Cupertino CA
Stephen D. Pacetti - San Jose CA
Rahul Bhagat - San Jose CA
Sharon Segvich - Crown Point IN
Assignee:
Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA
International Classification:
A61F 206
Abstract:
An expandable hybrid stent having metallic rings and polymer interconnecting links is disclosed. One embodiment of the stent has radially expandable cylindrical rings generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more polymer links that attach at formations formed in the rings. The polymer links have sufficient column strength to keep the rings from collapsing together axially. The formations may be holes, notches, grooves, channels, dovetails, or the like and the links wrap around, pass through, or lie on the formations. The junction of the link and ring at the formation is then melted and allowed to solidify. Alternatively, beads may be formed on either side of where the link passes through a hole in the ring thus securing the ring to the link.