The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implanting in a body
lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen.
The invention provides for an intravascular stent having a plurality of
cylindrical rings connected by undulating links. The stent has a high
degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate
vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an
artery or other body lumen. The stent can be compressed or crimped onto a
catheter to a very low profile since the peaks that are adjacent the
curved portion of the undulating link are shorter than other peaks in the
same cylindrical ring to prevent overlap yet still achieve a very low
profile, tightly crimped stent onto a catheter.