A ureteral stent for assisting the movement of urine along a patient's
ureter and into the patient's bladder. The stent includes an elongated
tubular segment extending toward the bladder from a kidney end region for
placement in the renal cavity to a bladder end region. A central lumen
connects at least one opening at the first end region to at least one
opening in the bladder end region. Thin flexible tail(s) are attached to
the bladder end region of the tubular segment at a point outside the
bladder so as to receive urine from the opening in the bladder end region
of the tubular segment and to transport urine from there across the
ureter/bladder junction and into the bladder. The tails include an
elongated external urine-transport surface sized and configured to
transport urine along the ureter. The urine transporting surface(s) are
sized and configured to extend along at least part of the ureter, across
the ureter/bladder junction, and from there into the bladder. In some
embodiments, the distal region includes a tubular body with a lumen in
fluid communication with an interstitial area defined by one or more
flexible filaments of the proximal region forming at least one loop.