Back to results
US 2015/0375437 A1Published application
Controlling moisture in and plasticization of bioresorbable polymer for melt processing
AssigneeAbbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
InventorsBethany Steichen, Stephen Pacetti, Manish Gada, Thierry Glauser, Lothar Kleiner, Yunbing Wang, James Oberhauser, Ni Ding
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for controlling the moisture content of biodegradable and bioresorbable polymer resin during extrusion above a lower limit that allows for plasticization of the polymer resin melt and below an upper limit to reduce or prevent molecular weight loss are disclosed. Methods are further disclosed involving plasticization of a polymer resin for feeding into an extruder with carbon dioxide and freon.
Claims18
(canceled)
A system for fabricating a stent comprising:
- a resin hopper for holding polymer resin having a resin outlet port for connecting to an extruder for feeding the polymer resin through the resin outlet port to the extruder;
- a source of a dry gas stream and conduits for carrying the dry gas stream from the dry gas stream source;
- a source of a moist gas stream and a conduit for carrying the moist gas stream from the moist gas stream source,
- wherein the conduit from the moist gas stream source is configured to inject the moist gas stream into the dry gas stream to form a drying gas stream;
- a conduit for carrying the drying gas stream into a gas inlet port to the resin hopper;
- a conduit for carrying the drying gas stream from the resin hopper after passing through the polymer resin through a gas outlet port in the resin hopper;
- at least one humidity sensor to monitor moisture content of the drying gas stream;
- and
- a controller that generates a signal to adjust the moisture content of the drying gas stream upward and downward based on the monitored moisture content of the drying gas stream.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.