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US 8,475,713 B2Granted
Reduced temperature sterilization of stents
AssigneeAdvanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
InventorsBin Huang, Abigail Freeman, Daniel Castro, David C. Gale
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for reduced temperature radiation sterilization of stents are disclosed.
Claims24
A method of sterilizing a stent comprising:
- providing a stent-catheter assembly including a polymer stent crimped to a balloon of a balloon catheter, the stent having a stent strut and a crimped diameter;
- selecting a sterilization temperature for the stent, wherein the sterilization temperature is selected by criteria including reducing a number of cracks in the stent strut after the stent is made sterile and expanded from the crimped diameter to a deployed diameter by the balloon, the sterilization temperature being below ambient temperature;
- cooling the stent to the sterilization temperature;
- and
- exposing the cooled stent to a dose of radiation.
2 more elements
A method of sterilizing a medical device, comprising:
- providing a stent-catheter assembly including a poly(L-lactide) stent crimped to a balloon of a balloon catheter, the stent having a stent strut;
- selecting a pre-sterilization temperature for reducing a number of cracks in the stent strut after the stent is made sterile;
- cooling the stent-catheter assembly to the pre-sterilization temperature;
- exposing the stent-catheter assembly to a dose of radiation sufficient to sterilize the stent-catheter assembly;
- and
- cooling the stent-catheter assembly to a post-sterilization temperature below ambient temperature after exposing the stent-catheter assembly to the dose of radiation, wherein the post-sterilization temperature slows down a rate of modification of the poly(L-lactide) that is induced following the exposing step.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.