Stent coating apparatus and method

A stent coating system comprising:

• a cartridge, the cartridge comprising:
• an applicator device to dispense a coating, the applicator device comprising:
• (a) a fluid ejection nozzle having an opening, said fluid ejection nozzle being configured to generate a negative pressure;
• (b) a reservoir in fluid communication with said fluid ejection nozzle, said reservoir being configured for generating a negative pressure for preventing leakage of the coating from said fluid ejection nozzle via said opening;
• and
• (c) a pressure wave actuating arrangement configured for generating a pressure wave in said fluid ejection nozzle, said pressure wave causing fluid displacement in said fluid ejection nozzle, thereby ejecting a droplet of the coating from said opening, said negative pressure of said fluid ejection nozzle and said negative pressure of said reservoir being configured in order that the remaining coating is drawn toward said opening to replace the coating dispensed with said droplet,
• wherein said reservoir and said fluid ejection nozzle are configured so as to produce an unbroken capillary flow path from said reservoir to said fluid ejection nozzle such that said fluid ejection nozzle is self-priming, wherein said reservoir is configured to maintain said negative pressure by capillary action so as to be substantially insensitive to changes in orientation of said applicator device, and wherein said pressure wave actuating arrangement includes a piezoelectric collar disposed around at least one of said fluid ejection nozzle and said reservoir;
• and
• a reusable drive unit, the reusable drive unit being reversibly connected to the cartridge, the reusable drive unit configured to generate a force to move the fluid ejection nozzle.