US 12,090,038 B2
Esophageal stents and related methods
Zeke Eller, Plano, TX (US); Tiffany Ethridge, Lubbock, TX (US); and Bryan K. Elwood, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to Merit Medical Systems , Inc., South Jordan, UT (US)
Filed by Merit Medical Systems, Inc., South Jordan, UT (US)
Filed on Jul. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/383,221.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/056,471, filed on Jul. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0023026 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 2/04 (2013.01); A61F 2/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/04 (2013.01) [A61F 2002/0081 (2013.01); A61F 2002/044 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0069 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0039 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A stent comprising:
a hollow cylindrical body having a middle region having a circumference, a diameter, and a longitudinal axis, the middle region extending to a first end defining a first opening and comprising a first plurality of flanges and to a second end defining a second opening and comprising a second plurality of flanges,
wherein each of the first plurality of flanges and the second plurality of flanges includes at least an inner flange adjacent to the middle region and an outer flange adjacent to the corresponding opening, wherein each inner flange has a profile comprising an inner shoulder extending radially from the circumference to a peak and an outer taper returning from the peak back toward the longitudinal axis to a valley, and
wherein each valley defines a diameter that is greater than the diameter of any cross section of the middle region.