# US 2013/0153439 A1 · Method for mass transfer of micro-patterns onto medical devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153439 A1 - Document ID: US20130153439A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/663,808 - Filed: 2012-10-30 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-10-28 - Assignees: Palmaz Scientific, Inc. - Inventors: Armando Garza - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153439A1 ## CPC - C25F 3/14: locally - A61F 2/915: with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other - A61L 31/00: Materials for other surgical articles {, e.g. stents, stent-grafts, shunts, surgical drapes, guide wires, materials for adhesion prevention, occluding devices, surgical gloves, tissue fixation devices (shape or structure of stent-grafts A61F2/07, of stents A61F2/82, of surgical gloves A61B42/00, of surgical drapes A61B46/00, of occluding devices A61B17/12022)} - A61L 31/14: Materials characterised by their function or physical properties {, e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials} - B23H 3/04: Electrodes specially adapted therefor or their manufacture (B23H9/00 takes precedence) - B23H 9/00: Machining specially adapted for treating particular metal objects or for obtaining special effects or results on metal objects (heat treatment by cathodic discharge C21D1/38) - B23H 9/008: {Surface roughening or texturing} - B23H 9/14: Making holes - C25F 3/02: Etching - C25F 7/00: Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic removal of material from objects (for both electrolytic coating and removal C25D); Servicing or operating - A61F 2/82: Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents (stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07) - A61F 2240/001: Designing or manufacturing processes - A61F 2250/0068: the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir - C25F: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC REMOVAL OF MATERIALS FROM OBJECTS; APPARATUS THEREFOR - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - B23H: WORKING OF METAL BY THE ACTION OF A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENT ON A WORKPIECE USING AN ELECTRODE WHICH TAKES THE PLACE OF A TOOL; SUCH WORKING COMBINED WITH OTHER FORMS OF WORKING OF METAL (processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings, electroforming, or apparatus therefor C25D; processes for the electrolytic removal of material from objects C25F; manufacturing printed circuits using precipitation techniques to apply the conductive material to form the desired conductive pattern H05K3/18) ## Abstract This invention is directed to a new method of mass-transfer/fabrication of micro-sized features/structures onto the inner diameter (ID) surface of a stent. This new approach is provided by technique of through mask electrical micro-machining. One embodiment discloses an application of electrical micro-machining to the ID of a stent using a customized electrode configured specifically for machining micro-sized features/structures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of mass-transferring a micro-pattern onto a medical device, comprising the steps of: a. Providing an electrode having an outer surface, the electrode comprising a conducting material; b. Coating the outer surface of the electrode with non-conducting material to form a masked electrode; c. Defining the micro-pattern on an outer surface of the masked electrode; d. Mounting the medical device on the masked electrode, wherein an inner surface of the medical device is in contact with the outer surface of the masked electrode; and e. Transferring the micro-pattern onto the inner surface of the medical device by electrochemical micromachining. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode is comprised of a conducting material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, brass, copper, graphite, molybdenum, silver, tungsten, and platinum. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the non-conducting material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a ceramic, and an oxide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, nitinol, MP35N, platinum-chromium, and tantalum-titanium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of coating the electrode further comprises vacuum deposition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining the micro-pattern further comprises laser ablating the outer surface of the masked electrode to form the micro-pattern. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the laser for ablating the outer surface of the masked electrode is selected from the group consisting of a femto-second laser, an excimer laser, a water assisted laser, and a chirped pulse amplification type Ti-sapphire based laser system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transferring the micro-pattern further comprises the steps of: a. electrically contacting the medical device and the masked electrode; b. providing an electrolyte solution; c. placing the medical device and masked electrode in the electrolyte solution; and d. micro-machining the inner surface of the medical device in machining gaps. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the machining gaps are bounded on one side by the outer surface of the electrode and on the other side by the inner surface of the medical device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the electrolyte solution is comprised of an electrolyte selected from the group consisting of KCl, unsaturated AgCl, NaCl, LiCl, NaHCO3, NaOH, saline, H2SO4, HF, and H3PO4. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing the medical device from the masked electrode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein micro-machining further comprises electrochemical machining utilizing a pulsed current. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein laser ablating further comprises utilizing a cover gas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the micro-pattern further comprises a cross-sectional configuration selected from the group consisting of square, u-shaped, triangular, v-shaped, rectangular, keyway shaped. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising removing the medical device and masked electrode from the electrolyte solution; and washing and drying the medical device and masked electrode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the depth of the micro-pattern transferred to the inner surface of the medical device is between approximately 0.5 microns to approximately 10 microns. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the non-conducting material coating on the outer surface of the electrode has a thickness, and the depth of the micro-pattern transferred to the inner surface of the medical device is less than the thickness of the non-conducting material coating. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the coating step further comprises dipping, spray coating, air brushing, lamination, or chemical vapor deposition techniques. ### Claim 19 A method of mass-transferring a micro-pattern onto a medical device, comprising the steps of: a. Providing an electrode having an outer surface, the electrode comprising a conducting material; b. Coating the outer surface of the electrode with non-conducting material to form a masked electrode; c. Defining the micro-pattern on an outer surface of the masked electrode; d. Mounting the medical device on the masked electrode, wherein an inner surface of the medical device is in contact with the outer surface of the masked electrode; e. Transferring the micro-pattern onto the inner surface of the medical device by electrochemical micromachining; and f. Removing the medical device from the masked electrode. ### Claim 20 A method of mass-transferring a micro-pattern onto a medical device, comprising the steps of: a. Providing an electrode having an outer surface, the electrode comprising a conducting material; b. Coating the outer surface of the electrode with non-conducting material to form a masked electrode; c. Defining the micro-pattern on an outer surface of the masked electrode; d. Mounting the medical device on the masked electrode, wherein an inner surface of the medical device is in contact with the outer surface of the masked electrode; e. Transferring the micro-pattern onto the inner surface of the medical device by electrochemical micromachining; and f. Removing the medical device from the masked electrode.