Stents and methods for preparing stents from wires having hydrogel coating layers thereon

A method for making a radially expandable intravascular stent comprising:

• providing a metal wire;
• applying to the wire a solution that includes a solvent and a water soluble polymer in the solvent;
• evaporating the solvent to provide a polymeric coating on the wire;
• crosslinking the polymeric coating to provide a hydrogel coating layer on the wire;
• and
• fabricating the coated wire into a cylindrical, radially expandable stent body, wherein the hydrogel coating layer is swollen with an aqueous fluid prior to fabricating the coated wire into a stent.

A method for delivery of a biologically active agent to the interior of a body lumen comprising:

• providing a metal wire;
• applying to the wire a solution that includes a solvent, a water soluble polymer in the solvent, and a biologically active agent dispersed in the solvent;
• evaporating the solvent to provide a polymeric coating on the wire;
• crosslinking the polymeric coating to provide a hydrogel coating layer on the wire;
• fabricating the coated wire into a cylindrical, radially expandable stent body, wherein the hydrogel coating layer is swollen with an aqueous fluid prior to fabricating the coated wire into a stent;
• introducing the stent body transluminally into a selected portion of the body lumen;
• and
• radially expanding the stent body into contact with the body lumen.

A method for delivery of a biologically active agent to the interior of a body lumen comprising:

• providing a metal wire;
• applying to the wire a solution that includes a solvent and a water soluble polymer in the solvent;
• evaporating the solvent to provide a polymeric coating on the wire;
• crosslinking the polymeric coating to provide a hydrogel coating layer on the wire;
• fabricating the coated wire into a cylindrical, radially expandable stent body, wherein the hydrogel coating layer is swollen with an aqueous fluid prior to fabricating the coated wire into a stent;
• applying a biologically active agent to the hydrogel coating layer;
• introducing the stent body transluminally into a selected portion of the body lumen;
• and
• radially expanding the stent body into contact with the body lumen.

A method of modifying cellular response in a body lumen to a disease, injury, or foreign body, comprising:

• providing a metal wire;
• applying to the wire a solution that includes a solvent, a water soluble polymer in the solvent, and a biologically active agent dispersed in the solvent;
• evaporating the solvent to provide a polymeric coating on the wire;
• crosslinking the polymeric coating to provide a hydrogel coating layer on the wire;
• fabricating the coated wire into a cylindrical, radially expandable stent body, wherein the hydrogel coating layer is swollen with an aqueous fluid prior to fabricating the coated wire into a stent;
• introducing the stent body transluminally into a selected portion of the body lumen;
• radially expanding the stent body into contact with the body lumen;
• and
• controllably releasing the biologically active agent into the body lumen.

A method of modifying cellular response in a body lumen to a disease, injury, or foreign body, comprising:

• providing a metal wire;
• applying to the wire a solution that includes a solvent and a water soluble polymer in the solvent;
• evaporating the solvent to provide a polymeric coating on the wire;
• crosslinking the polymeric coating to provide a hydrogel coating layer on the wire;
• fabricating the coated wire into a cylindrical, radially expandable stent body, wherein the hydrogel coating layer is swollen with an aqueous fluid prior to fabricating the coated wire into a stent;
• applying a biologically active agent to the hydrogel coating layer;
• introducing the stent body transluminally into a selected portion of the body lumen;
• radially expanding the stent body into contact with the body lumen;
• and
• controllably releasing the biologically active agent into the body lumen.