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US 6,649,030 B1Granted
Physical vapor deposition of radiopaque markings on a graft
AssigneeEndovascular Technologies, Inc.
InventorAleta A Tesar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Physical vapor deposition of radiopaque markings onto a graft is described. A graft is placed into a chamber, and a radiopaque material is vaporized and then deposited onto the graft. The chamber is kept at a temperature below the damage threshold of the graft material. A template optionally placed on the graft may define the design of the deposited radiopaque markings. The deposited radiopaque markings of the present invention may have any design and may comprise any radiopaque material.
Claims34
A method comprising:
- providing a deposition chamber containing a source of a radiopaque metal;
- introducing a graft comprising a polymeric material having a damage threshold into the chamber in contact with a conductive base plate;
- evacuating the chamber;
- vaporizing the radiopaque metal from the source to form a vaporized metal within the evacuated chamber;
- depositing the vaporized metal onto the graft to form a radiopaque marking that is visible under a fluoroscope while maintaining a temperature that is not greater than the damage threshold;
- and
- conducting heat from the graft into the conductive base plate.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a deposition chamber containing a source of a radiopaque metal and a conductive cylindrically shaped base plate;
- placing a tubular shaped graft comprising a polymeric textile having a damage threshold into the chamber in contact with the cylindrically shaped base plate by slipping the tubular graft over the cylindrically shaped base plate;
- placing a template having a design therethrough in a position relative to the graft;
- evacuating the chamber;
- vaporizing the radiopaque metal from the source to form a vaporized metal within the evacuated chamber;
- depositing the vaporized metal through the design in the template onto the graft to form a radiopaque marking which is visible under a fluoroscope, wherein depositing includes depositing at an average deposition rate in a range of about 0.1 nm per second to about 5 nm per second, to form a radiopaque marking having a thickness in a range of about 0.5 μm to about 1 mm, while maintaining a temperature that is not greater than the damage threshold;
- and
- conducting heat from the graft into the conductive base plate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.