The invention provides an apparatus for coating tubular members, such as stents, and also provides a method for coating tubular members. The invention improves manufacturing efficiencies of existing manual-dipping technology for stents and also addresses manufacturing problems from stents having plural surface apertures associated with the presence of excess liquid, inconsistent drying of the liquid and blockage.
The present invention provides a method of forming a drug-polymer coated stent. A polymeric coating is applied onto at least a portion of a stent framework and dried. A jet of heated gas is directed towards excess coating portions of the dried polymeric coating. The excess coating portions, which extend into apertures of the stent framework, are removed from the apertures of the stent framework by reflowing the polymeric coating with the directed jet of heated gas. A drug-polymer coated stent with a reflowed drug-polymer coating and a system for treating a vascular condition are also disclosed.
The present invention provides a method of applying a drug-polymer coating on a stent. A stent framework is dipped into a first polymeric solution including a first polymer, a first therapeutic agent, and a first solvent. The polymeric solution is dried to form a thin drug-polymer layer on the stent framework. The stent framework with the thin drug-polymer layer, which is insoluble in the second polymeric solution, is dipped into a second polymeric solution including a second polymer and a second solvent and is dried to form a thin barrier layer on the thin drug-polymer layer. The steps of dipping the stent framework into the first polymeric solution, drying the first polymeric solution, dipping the stent framework into the second polymeric solution, and drying the second polymeric solution are repeated until a target drug-polymer coating thickness is disposed on the stent framework.
The present invention is a method and device, which is suitable for use in an operating theater just prior to implantation, for selectively applying a medical coating to an implantable medical device, for example a stent. Disclosed is a device for use with a stent deployed on a catheter balloon. The device is configured to apply a medical coating of a desired thickness to the surface of a stent only. This is done by use of a drop-on-demand ink-jet printing system in association with an optical scanning device. The device is further configured so as to, if necessary, apply a plurality of layered coats, each layered coat being of a different coating material, and if appropriate, different thickness. The section of the housing in which the stent is held during the coating procedure is detachable from the housing base. The detachable housing section may be easily cleaned and re-sterilized or simply disposed of.
