The present device has increased longitudinal flexibility in a stent by
having some curved sections of each circumferential set of strut members
being unconnected to the curved sections of the adjacent circumferential
set of strut members with the other curved sections being connected by
highly flexible, undulating longitudinal connecting links. The present
device prevents flaring of the unconnected strut members by having a
shorter longitudinal length for the unconnected strut members, and may
have generally shorter longitudinal lengths for all the strut members in
the circumferential sets of strut members at the stent ends to reduce the
tendency for end flaring of the stent. Finally, the stent demonstrates
that the flexible longitudinal connecting links of the curved sections of
the sets of strut members are connected at a point that is close to the
line where the diagonal sections join the curved sections, thus further
reducing the propensity for end flaring.