Expandable stents and method for making same
AssigneeAdvanced Cardiovasular Systems, Inc.
InventorsLilip Lau, William M. Hartigan, John J. Frantzen
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Abstract
The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, and a method for making it from a single length of tubing. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more interconnective elements. The individual radially expandable cylindrical elements consist of ribbon-like material disposed in an undulating pattern. Portions of the expanded stent project outwardly into engagement with the vessel wall to more securely attach the stent.
Claims2
1-24. (canceled)
A method of chemically etching a metallic tubular member to form an intravascular stent, comprising:
- applying a photoresistive coating using electrophoretic deposition to a tubular surface of the metallic tubular member;
- selectively removing portions of the photoresistive coating from the tubular surface thereby providing exposed portions of the metallic surface and protected portions of the metallic surface;
- the tubular member having a wall thickness of about 0.003 inch (0.0762 mm);
- exposing the metallic surface to a chemical etchant solution thereby removing a full wall thickness of the metallic member to form a pattern generally corresponding to the exposed portions of the metallic surface;
- removing the photoresistive coating;
- and
- electrochemically polishing the metallic tubular member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.