AN EXPANDABLE STENT AND A METHOD FOR PROMOTING A NATURAL INTRACRANIAL ANGIOGENESIS PROCESS, AND USE OF THE EXPANDABLE STENT IN THE METHOD FOR PROMOTING A NATURAL INTRACRANIAL ANGIOGENESIS PROCESS

摘要

An expandable stent (1) to enhance the supply of blood to downstream tissue which is being supplied with blood through a diseased intracranial artery (100) with a stenosis (102) formed therein by plaque with a bore (103) therethrough. The expandable stent (1) comprises first and second end portions (3,4) joined by a central portion (5). The central portion (5) is configured in the expanded state of the stent (1) to be located in the bore (103) of the stenosis (102) with the first and second end portions (3,4) abutting non-diseased parts (104,106) of the artery (100) adjacent the proximal and distal ends (105,107) of the stenosis (102) for anchoring the stent (1) in the artery (100). The central portion (5) with the stent (1) in the expanded state is configured to apply a radial outward pressure to the stenosis (102) such that the diameter of the bore (103) of the stenosis (102) is maintained at its current diameter or increased to approximately 50% of the non-diseased parts (104,106) of the artery (100).