# US 8,739,384 B2 · Method for stent retention on a balloon catheter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,384 B2 - Document ID: US8739384B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/252,965 - Filed: 2011-10-04 - Published: 2012-01-26 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2007-09-28 - Assignees: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc. - Applicants: Yunbing Wang; Gregory Kilinski; Luis Vazquez - Inventors: Yunbing Wang; Gregory Kilinski; Luis Vazquez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739384B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/958: Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts - A61F 2/9522: {Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument} - B23P 11/005: {by expanding or crimping} - Y10T 29/49865: by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit] - Y10T 29/49908: Joining by deforming - Y10T 29/49911: by expanding inner annulus - Y10T 29/49913: by constricting outer annulus - Y10T 29/49925: Inward deformation of aperture or hollow body wall - Y10T 29/49934: by axially applying force - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A balloon is inflated from a collapsed configuration, then deflated. A polymeric stent is then disposed over the deflated balloon and the stent crimped to the balloon. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of crimping a stent to a balloon, the balloon having pre-arranged folds when configured in a collapsed configuration, comprising: heating a polymer stent to a temperature of between 25 and 100 degrees Celsius, wherein a polymer of the stent has a glass transition temperature between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius; inflating the balloon a first time, then deflating the balloon such that the balloon forms a relaxed state wherein at least a portion of the pre-arranged folds are removed; partially crimping the heated stent to the balloon, followed by inflating the balloon a second time; and fully crimping the heated stent to the balloon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inflating the balloon a first time includes increasing the balloon diameter from an intermediate diameter to a crimping diameter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the balloon is inflated a second time the balloon is held at a pressure for a period of time prior to release of the pressure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the balloon is inflated to a fully inflated diameter when the balloon is inflated a first time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer stent is crimped using an iris or collet type of crimp mechanism. ### Claim 6 A method of crimping a polymer stent to a balloon, the balloon having a shape memory including pre-arranged folds when configured in a collapsed configuration, comprising: working out the shape memory in the balloon including inflating and deflating the balloon, whereupon at least a portion of the pre-arranged folds are removed; and fully crimping the polymer stent to the deflated balloon, so that the polymer stent is crimped to the balloon when the balloon has the at least a portion of its pre-arranged folds removed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the polymer stent is crimped using an iris or collet type of crimp mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the balloon has a fully inflated diameter and the balloon is inflated to the fully inflated diameter before being deflated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the polymer stent comprises poly(L-lactide) and the polymer stent has a temperature of between 30-50 degrees Celsius during crimping. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer stent comprises poly(L-lactide) and the polymer stent has a temperature of between 30-50 degrees Celsius during crimping. ### Claim 11 A method of making a medical device, comprising the steps of: providing a balloon having pre-arranged folds; providing a stent made from poly(L-lactide); inflating the balloon, then deflating the balloon such that the balloon forms a relaxed state wherein at least a portion of the pre-arranged folds are removed; and using an iris or collet-type of crimping mechanism, crimping the stent to the balloon including the steps of crimping the stent to the balloon while the stent has a temperature of between 30 and 50 degrees Celsius; wherein the stent is crimped to the balloon while the balloon has the at least a portion of its pre-arranged folds removed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the balloon has a fully inflated diameter and during the inflation the balloon is inflated to the fully inflated diameter, whereupon the pre-arranged folds are removed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the balloon is a 3.0 mm balloon and the stent has a diameter of 3.5 mm before the stent is crimped to the balloon.