Stents having biodegradable layers

A laminate coronary stent comprising

• a. a stent framework;
• b. a plurality of layers deposited on said stent framework to form said laminate coronary stent;
• wherein at least one of said layers comprises a bioabsorbable polymer;
• wherein the stent framework has a thickness of about 50% or less of a thickness of the laminate coronary stent.

A method of preparing a laminate coronary stent comprising:

• a. providing a stent framework;
• b. depositing a plurality of layers on said stent framework to form said laminate coronary stent;
• wherein at least one of said layers comprises a bioabsorbable polymer;
• at least one pharmaceutical agent in a therapeutically desirable morphology and/or at least one active biological agent;
• wherein depositing each layer of said plurality of layers on said stent framework comprises the following steps:
• i. discharging the at least one pharmaceutical agent and/or at least one active biological agent in dry powder form through a first orifice;
• ii. forming a supercritical or near supercritical fluid solution comprising at least one supercritical fluid solvent and at least one polymer and discharging said supercritical or near supercritical fluid solution through said first orifice or through a second orifice under conditions sufficient to form solid particles of the polymer;
• iii. depositing the polymer and pharmaceutical agent and/or active biological agent particles onto said framework, wherein an electrical potential is maintained between the framework and the polymer and pharmaceutical agent and/or active biological agent particles, thereby forming said layer;
• and
• iv. sintering said layer under conditions that do not substantially modify the morphology of said pharmaceutical agent and/or the activity of said biological agent;
• wherein the stent framework has a thickness of about 50% or less of a thickness of the laminate coronary stent.

A method of preparing a laminate coronary stent comprising:

• a. depositing a plurality of layers to form a laminate sheet comprising a bioabsorbable polymer;
• b. carving out a pattern of said coronary stent into said sheet;
• and
• c. rolling said sheet to form said coronary stent;
• wherein depositing each layer of said plurality of layers comprises the following steps:
• i. discharging at least one pharmaceutical agent and/or at least one active biological agent in dry powder form through a first orifice;
• ii. forming a supercritical or near supercritical fluid solution comprising at least one supercritical fluid solvent and at least one polymer and discharging said supercritical or near supercritical fluid solution through said first orifice or through a second orifice under conditions sufficient to form solid particles of the polymer;
• iii. depositing the polymer and pharmaceutical agent and/or active biological agent particles onto said framework, wherein an electrical potential is maintained between a support on which the laminate sheet is formed and the polymer and pharmaceutical agent and/or active biological agent particles, thereby forming said layer;
• and
• iv. sintering said layer under conditions that do not substantially modify the morphology of said pharmaceutical agent and/or the activity of said biological agent.