Vascular and endoluminal stents with improved coatings

Abstract

A stent has a tubular metal base adapted to be expanded from a first vessel-navigable diameter to a larger second vessel-deployed diameter; a thin, continuous intermediate layer of noble metal or alloy thereof selected from a group consisting of niobium, zirconium, titanium and tantalum, overlying and tightly adherent to an exposed surface area of the tubular metal base; and a biocompatible outer layer of iridium oxide overlying and adherent to the intermediate layer. The outer layer has a relatively rough surface with interstices into which beneficial drugs or other substances or agents may be infused, with or without a biodegradable carrier, to preclude occlusion from restenosis or thrombosis during the acute stage following deployment of the stent.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.