PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stent which is highly flexible to enable easily transportation in a curved narrow artery, is excellent in expandability when expanding the stent, has sufficient strength to support an arterial wall and maintain an open state of a constricted part, is excellent in durability to withstand a repeated bending load of the artery caused by heart beat, and does not generate cracks in a surface covered material whose surface is covered, or a narrow gap between a substrate and the surface covered material when expanding the stent.SOLUTION: A tubular unit is formed by connecting a plurality of cell units, in which top cells and lower end cells forming a first cell group and a second cell group arranged to face each other are connected, with a first connection member. By connecting the tubular unit with a second connection member, stress and strain applied to the cells can be dispersed uniformly, and durability against a bending load can be dramatically improved without impairing flexibility.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2017,JPO&INPIT【課題】曲がりくねった細い動脈中を容易に搬送することができる高い柔軟性を有し、ステント拡張時の拡張性に優れ、動脈壁を支持して狭窄部の開放状態を維持するに十分な強度を有するとともに、心臓の鼓動に起因する動脈の繰り返し曲げ負荷に耐える耐久性に優れ、かつステント拡張時に表面を被覆した表面被覆材に亀裂や基材と表面被覆材界面に狭小な空隙を生じさせることのないステントを提供する。【解決手段】相対して配置された第一のセル群と第二のセル群を形成する頂部セルと下端部セルが連結された複数のセルユニットを第一の連結部材で連結して管状ユニットを形成し、該管状ユニットを第二の連結部材で連結することで、セルにかかる応力と歪みが一様に分散されて、可撓性を損ねることなく、曲げ負荷に対する耐久性を飛躍的に向上させることができる。【選択図】図1
