Method of loading expandable medical device in a low vapor environment
AssigneeCook Incorporated
InventorFred T. Parker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method (112) of loading an expandable medical device in a low vapor environment. The method includes placing the device in a loading chamber (114) at, for example, room temperature and removing (116) from the chamber any undesirable contaminants such as water vapor that can form condensation on the device when the device is cooled for compression into a transfer tube or delivery catheter. The temperature in the chamber is lowered (118) to a temperature below the transition temperature (martensitic finish) of the device. The device is compressed (120) below its' transition temperature and loaded (122) into a delivery or transfer device.
Claims10
A method of loading an expandable medical device in a low vapor environment, comprising the steps of:
- placing an expandable medical device in a chamber at a first temperature,
- removing from the chamber at least one of a vapor and any other impurities that can form at least one of a liquid and a solid on the medical device,
- lowering the temperature in the chamber to a temperature below a transition temperature of the medical device,
- compressing the medical device at a temperature below a transition temperature of the medical device, and
- loading the compressed medical device into at least one of a delivery device and a transfer device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.