US Patent 6893458 Self-expanding stent with enhanced delivery precision and stent delivery system

A self-expanding stent for implantation into a body lumen, such as an artery, includes a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common longitudinal stent axis and interconnected by a plurality of interconnecting members placed on the stent in a collinear arrangement to create at least one continuous spine which extends along the length of the stent. The cylindrical elements are nested when placed in a collapsed position. The cylindrical elements may include a W-shared portion to which the interconnecting members attach.