What is claimed is:
1. An edging system comprising (a) one or more straight units, (b) one or more curved units and (c) one or more corner units, said units being adapted for arrangement in end-to-end relationship, each said unit having a connecting face at each of its ends comprised of a vertical groove and a vertical rib such that the ribs on the connecting faces of any two of said units fit within the grooves in the connecting faces of said two units to maintain the units in end-to-end alignment with one another.
2. A system is set forth in claim 1 wherein the connecting face at one end of each unit has the rib thereon located adjacent one side of the unit and the groove therein located adjacent the other side of the unit and the connecting face at the other end of each unit has the rib thereon located adjacent said other side of the unit and the groove therein located adjacent said one side of the unit.
3. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein each said connecting face is comprised of a protruding rib of selected configuration and a groove having a configuration complementary to that of the rib.
4. A system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the rib and groove are generally V-shaped and immediately contiguous to one another.
5. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein each said connecting face is comprised from side to side of the unit of a flat surface, a protruding rib of selected configuration, a groove having a configuration complementary to that of the rib, and a flat surface.
6. An edging system comprising a plurality of curved edger units, each having a concave surface and a convex surface, the concave and convex surfaces having the same arc of curvature such that a plurality of units may be nested together with the concave surface of each unit engaging flush against the convex surface of the next adjacent unit.
7. An edging system including at least one corner unit, each corner unit comprising a corner block and a pair of legs extending at a right angle from the corner block, the corner block having a top surface including a flat area for facilitating stacking of a plurality of corner units.
8. A system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the upper surface of each corner unit is scalloped, each of said legs comprising a scallop and the corner block comprising a partial scallop contiguous to and of the same height as the leg scallops, said flat area comprising an area forming a right angle spaced inward from the outer corner of the block, the upper surfaces of the block contiguous to its outer corner being curved.
9. An edging system comprising one or more of (a) one or more straight edger units, and (b) one or more curved edger units, each unit having a length to thickness ratio of about 5.33:1 and a height to thickness ratio of about 1.89:1.
10. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the top of each unit comprises one or more scallops each having a height equal to about 25% of the overall height of the unit.
11. A system as set forth in claim 9 including a plurality of curved units each having a concave surface and a convex surface, the concave and convex surfaces having the same arc of curvature, each curved unit being thicker at its mid-portion than at its ends.
12. A system as set forth in claim 9 including one or more corner units, each corner unit having a pair of outer sides of equal length and having length to thickness and height to thickness ratios no greater than set forth in claim 9.
13. A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the top of each corner unit comprises one or more scallops each having a height equal to about 25% of the overall height of the unit.
14. A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein each corner unit comprises a corner block and a pair of legs of equal length extending at a right angle from the corner block, each of said legs having a scallop and the corner block having a partial scallop contiguous to and of the same height as the leg scallops, the partial scallop having a top including a flat surface extending inwardly from the outer sides of the block adjacent the outer corner of the block.
15. An edging system comprising (a) one or more straight units, (b) one or more curved units and (c) one or more corner units, said units being adapted for arrangement in end-to-end relationship, each curved unit having a concave surface and a convex surface both formed on the same arc of curvature, each curved unit being thicker at its mid-portion than at its ends, each said unit having a length to thickness ration no greater than about 5.33:1 and a height to thickness ratio no greater than about 1.89:1, each said unit having a connecting face of equal size and shape at each of its ends comprised of a vertical groove and a vertical rib and such that the ribs on the connecting faces of any pair of adjoining units fit within the grooves in the connecting faces of said pair of units to maintain the units in end-to-end alignment with one another.
16. A process of making edging units comprising the steps of
placing one or more molding forms on a pallet, each form having sides defining an enclosure of a selected shape and size and being open at the top and bottom, the bottom being temporarily closed by the pallet,
filling each form with a low slump cementitious mixture,
lowering a plunger that is complementary to a respective molding form into the form to compress the cementitious mixture therein and to conform the mixture to the shape and size defined by the form,
maintaining each plunger in its lowered position and at the same time raising each form upwardly until the bottom of the form is level with the bottom of the plunger,
raising each form and plunger until they are clear of a respective molded unit, and
transporting the pallet containing one or more molded units to a subsequent station.
17. A process as set forth in claim 16 including the additional steps of cleaning each form and plunger, transporting an empty pallet into position below each form and plunger, and repeating the steps recited in claim 16.
18. A process as set forth in claim 16 wherein the subsequent station is a packing station and wherein the method includes the steps of nesting together a plurality of molded units of the same shape and size and placing the nested units on a shipping pallet.
19. A process as set forth in claim 18 wherein the steps recited in claim 18 are performed without curing the molded units.
20. A process as set forth in claim 18 including molding forms each defining a curved edging unit having a convex surface and a concave surface with both surfaces having the same arc of curvature, such that a plurality of the curved units are nested together with the concave surface of each unit engaging flush against the convex surface of the next adjacent unit for safe and compact packing on a pallet.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A stent arranged in a stenosis portion in an intracavital, the stent comprising:
at least one deformable frame which is urged so as to expand in a radially outward direction thereof in an installed state, the frame having a proximal end and a distal end; and
a cylindrical film-like member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery, the inner periphery being removably mounted around an outer periphery of the frame, the film-like member being expandable and reducible in a radial direction thereof, the outer periphery of the film-like member being in tight contact with the stenosis portion when the film-like member is expanded in a radially outward direction thereof, the film-like member having a proximal end and a distal end.
2. A stent which expands a lumen in a body, the stent comprising:
a film-like member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery and which is expandable and reducible in a radial direction thereof, the film-like member having a proximal end and a distal end;
at least one frame which is installed in and removed from the film-like member and which is separated from the film-like member when recovered, the frame having a proximal end and a distal end.
3. A stent according to claim 1, wherein the frame is formed to be generally linear in a no-load state, and
wherein the film-like member has a support mechanism inside the outer periphery of the film-like member, the support mechanism supporting at least a part of the frame when the distal end of the frame is arranged closer to the proximal end of the film-like member than to the distal end of the film-like member and when the proximal end of the frame is arranged at a position which is more proximal than the proximal end of the film-like member.
4. A stent according to claim 3, wherein the support mechanism is spirally formed on the film-like member.
5. A stent according to claim 3, wherein the support mechanism has a lumen formed on the inner periphery of the film-like member and into which the frame is insertable.
6. A stent according to claim 4, wherein the support mechanism has a lumen formed on the inner periphery of the film-like member and into which the frame is insertable.
7. A stent according to claim 3, wherein the support mechanism has a rail-like section provided on the inner periphery of the film-like member and which supports the frame in a recess portion having an opening facing in a radially inward direction of the film-like member.
8. A stent according to claim 4, wherein the support mechanism has a rail-like section provided on the inner periphery of the film-like member and which supports the frame in a recess portion having an opening facing in a radially inward direction of the film-like member.
9. A stent according to claim 1, wherein the film-like member is made from biodegradable material.
10. A stent according to claim 2, wherein the frame comprises at least one steam frame formed to be generally linear in a no-load state and a plurality of branch frames which are abutted against the inner periphery of the film-like member, and
wherein the film-like member has a support mechanism inside the outer periphery of the film-like member, the support mechanism supporting at least a part of the branch frames when the distal end of the steam frame is arranged closer to the proximal end of the film-like member than to the distal end of the film-like member and when the proximal end of the stem frame is arranged at a position which is more proximal than the proximal end of the film-like member.
11. A stent according to claim 10, wherein the branch frames are each shaped substantially like a character C.
12. A stent according to claim 10, wherein the support mechanism has a lumen formed on the inner periphery of the film-like member and into which at least a part of the branch frames are inserted.
13. A stent according to claim 10, wherein the support mechanism has a rail-like section provided on the inner periphery of the film-like member and which supports at least a part of the branch frames in a recess portion having an opening facing in a radially inward direction of the film-like member.
14. A stent according to claim 2, wherein the film-like member is made from biodegradable material.
15. A stent which expands a lumen in a body, the stent comprising:
a film-like member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery and which is expandable and reducible in a radial direction thereof, the film-like member having a proximal end and a distal end;
a plurality of frames which are installed in and removed from the film-like member and which are separated from the film-like member when recovered, the frames each having a proximal end and a distal end.
16. A stent according to claim 15, wherein the frames are formed to be generally linear in a no-load state, and
wherein the film-like member has a support mechanism inside the outer periphery of the film-like member, the support mechanism supporting at least a part of the frame when the distal end of the frame is arranged closer to the proximal end of the film-like member than to the distal end of the film-like member.
17. A stent according to claim 16, wherein the support mechanism is spirally formed, and
wherein the frames are supported by the support mechanism and are integrated together at a position thereof which is arranged closer to the proximal end of the frames than the proximal end of the film-like member.
18. A stent according to claim 15, wherein the film-like member is made from biodegradable material.
19. A recovery method of recovering a stent indwelled in an indwelling portion of a coelom while being expanded in the coelom, comprising:
inserting a coelom observing mechanism into the coelom, the coelom observing mechanism having a channel therein and which allows an interior of the coelom to be observed;
guiding a device having a gripping mechanism to an indwelled portion of the stent through the channel in the coelom observing mechanism, the stent having a cylindrical film-like member which has a proximal end and a distal end and which can be expanded and contracted in a radial direction thereof and at least one frame which is removably attached to a bore in the film-like member and which has an expanding force exerted in a radially outward direction thereof, the frame having a distal end arranged closer to the proximal end of the film-like member than to the distal end of the film-like member and a proximal end located at a position which is more proximal than the proximal end of the film-like member;
using this device to grip the proximal end of the frame located at the position which is more proximal than the proximal end of the film-like member;
recovering the frame by pulling out the frame gripped by the device while reducing the diameter of the film-like member in the indwelling portion; and
further recovering the film-like member having the diameter thereof reduced.