Fluid bearing to support stent tubing during laser cutting

A fluid bearing assembly for use in laser cutting a stent pattern in tubing, comprising:

• a housing having a gas inlet port and a fluid inlet port;
• a bearing having a plurality of blades and being rotatably mounted within the housing so that the bearing is free to rotate without touching the housing;
• a stent tubing positioned within an inner diameter of the bearing;
• the gas inlet port being positioned to inject pressurized gas on the plurality of blades to impart rotation to the bearing;
• and
• the fluid inlet port being positioned to inject fluid onto an inner surface of the bearing so that as the bearing rotates, a film of fluid adheres to the inner surface of the bearing and the film of fluid is between the inner surface of the bearing and an outer surface of the stent tubing.

A method of supporting a stent tubing for laser cutting a pattern in a stent, comprising:

• providing a computer controlled laser cutting assembly;
• providing a fluid bearing assembly having a bearing within a housing;
• inserting a stent tubing through the fluid bearing assembly and into a collet on the laser cutting assembly;
• simultaneously rotating the bearing in the fluid bearing assembly and injecting a fluid onto an inner surface of the bearing;
• and
• forming a film of fluid on the inner surface of the bearing so that as the collet rotates and translates the stent tubing the fluid film provides friction reducing barrier between the inner surface of the bearing and an outer surface of the stent tubing.