Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A flexible self-expandable stent having a longitudinal axis, comprising: at least two radial elastic cylindrical units (1); and a cylindrical cover fixing member (3) for sheathing and fixing the radial elastic cylindrical units, wherein the radial elastic cylindrical units are fixed by and disposed on the cylindrical cover fixing member such that adjacent ends of each elastic cylindrical unit are spaced at predetermined intervals (13) along the longitudinal axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
A flexible self-expandable stent having a longitudinal axis, wherein, if the stent has more than three radial elastic cylindrical units (1), the intervals (13) between the units are identical to, or different from each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 1, wherein each of the units (1) is designed in a closed zig-zag configuration having a series of straight sections (11) being joined by bends (10) in a cylindrical shape.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 1, wherein each of the units is designed in an opened zig-zag configuration having a series of straight sections (11', 11") being joined by bends in a cylindrical shape, in which open ends of the unit are not jointed but disposed to be adjacent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 1, 3 or 4, wherein the cylindrical cover fixing member (3) is made of a material having flexibility and elasticity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 5, wherein the cylindrical cover fixing member (3) is made of polymer materials.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 6, wherein the interval (13) is determined within a range from 0.5I to 1.5I, in which the I is determined according to the following formula, I=2πd θ 360 / (η-1) where, I is the interval; d is a diameter of the stent; θ is a curvature angle of the stent; and η is the number of units.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A flexible self-expanding stent according to claim 7, wherein the interval (13) is selected within a range from 1mm to 20mm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A flexible self-expanding stent according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 8 further comprising a reverse flow preventing means (7) for preventing foodstuffs or fluids from being reversed from a downstream side to an upstream side.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A flexible self-expanding stent according to claim 9, wherein the reverse flow preventing means (7) comprises a trileaflet valve member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
114 words
A flexible self-expanding stent according to claim 10, wherein the trileaflet valve member (7) includes a first plate (71), one end and sides of which are attached to an inner wall of the stent with a free end of the same progressively positioned toward a center axis of the stent and an attachment area of the first plate utilizing roughly one-third of a circumference of the stent inner wall, a second plate (73) attached similarly as the first plate and utilizing another one-third of the stent inner wall circumference, and a third plate (75) also attached similarly as the first and second plates and utilizing a remaining one-third of the stent inner wall circumference.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 9, wherein the reverse flow preventing means (7 1 ) comprises a bileaflet valve member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 12, wherein the bileaflet valve member (7') includes first and second plates (72, 74), one end and sides of the plates being attached to an inner wall of the stent while other ends being left unattached and progressively positioned toward the longitudinal axis of the stent such that free ends of the plates come to be adjacent to each other.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 9, wherein the reverse flow preventing means (7) includes an opening portion (77) to allow gases to reversely escape therethrough.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the reverse flow preventing means (7) is made of elastic and flexible material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
A flexible self-expandable stent according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the reverse flow preventing means (7) is made of parts from living organisms such as a valve from a pig or a pericardium from a cow.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for making a flexible self-expandable stent, comprising the steps of: preparing a cylindrical film made of polymer material (3) and having a longitudinal axis; attaching more than two elastic units (1) having a diameter which is the same as that of the cylindrical elastic film on an outer or inner wall of the cylindrical elastic film, said units being spaced from each other in the longitudinal axis at predetermined intervals (13); depositing the cylindrical elastic film and the units with polymer solution; and hardening the deposited solution.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method for making the flexible self-expandable stent according to claim 17, wherein the depositing step is performed by soaking the cylindrical elastic film with the units into the polymer solution.