System for coating a stent
AssigneeAbbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
InventorsStephen D. Pacetti, Laura Melton Kalvass
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A systems and method for reducing coating defects on a stent may involve a support apparatus comprising wire cage for carrying a stent. The support apparatus may have no structure that extends inside the stent. A support apparatus may include a plurality of wires that pass through the stent but do not pass through the midplane of the stent. A support apparatus may contact only the proximal ends of the stent. The method may involve keeping the stent in motion during a spray coating process to prevent the stent from having a point remain in continuous contact with a support apparatus.
Claims18
A system for coating a stent, the system comprising:
- a stent having a central axis that extends from a distal end of the stent to a proximal end of the stent;
- an apparatus that supports the stent, wherein the apparatus comprises a container carrying the stent and a device that rotates the container, and the container is configured to prevent the stent from rotating on an axis perpendicular to the central axis of the stent;
- and
- a coating device adjacent to the apparatus, the coating device configured to discharge a coating substance onto the stent,
- wherein the container has no point that remains in continuous contact with the stent while the container rotates 360 degrees.
A system for coating a stent, the system comprising:
- a stent having a central axis that extends from a distal end of the stent to a proximal end of the stent;
- an apparatus that supports the stent, wherein the apparatus comprises a container carrying the stent and a device that rotates the container, and the container is configured to prevent the stent from rotating on an axis perpendicular to the central axis of the stent;
- and
- a coating device adjacent to the apparatus, the coating device configured to discharge a coating substance onto the stent,
- wherein the apparatus rotates the stent about the central axis of the stent, and the apparatus has no point that remains in continuous contact with the stent while the stent rotates 360 degrees.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.