US Patent 7011676 Flat knitted stent and method of making the same

A knitted implantable stent having a hollow tubular structure having opposed open ends defining a wall portion therebetween is provided. The wall portion includes an open lattice structure of a plurality of interconnected perimetrically bound cells. The cells are defined by a plurality cell segments. The cell segments are defined by at least two wires knittingly interlaced in a plurality of loops. Adjacent cell segments are knittingly interlaced with each other to form the open lattice structure of interconnected perimetrically bound cells. The stent may be a singular tubular structure or may be a bifurcated stent. Methods for producing the flat knitted stents include the use of double needle bar flat knitting machines.