Laser cutting of stents and other medical devices
First Claim
1. A method of processing a stent preform comprising the steps of:
- providing a stent preform;
providing a laser system comprising;
a) a resonator cavity for resonating laser radiation b) a gain medium contained in the resonator cavity c) a pump for periodically pumping the gain medium, the laser system producing a radiation pulse for each pump period;
d) conditioning the radiation pulse by suppressing a portion of, but not the entirety of the radiation pulse to produce conditioned radiation;
e) outputting the conditioned radiation in the form of a laser beam f) directing the laser beam at the stent preform; and
g) impinging the laser beam onto the stent preform to cut a desired pattern in the stent preform.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A desired pattern may be cut into a stent preform by impinging a laser beam onto the stent preform. The laser beam is formed using a laser system comprising a resonator cavity for resonating laser radiation, a gain medium contained in the resonator cavity, a pump for periodically pumping the gain medium and an electro-optical modulator in communication with the resonator cavity. The laser system produces a radiation pulse for each pump period. Each radiation pulse is conditioned by suppressing at least a portion of the pulse. The pulse may also be modulated with an electro-optical modulator to produce a pulse train of ordered pulses of radiation. Each pulse train is output from the optical cavity as an output laser beam which is directed at the stent preform to cut a desired pattern in the stent preform.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of processing a stent preform comprising the steps of:
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providing a stent preform;
providing a laser system comprising;
a) a resonator cavity for resonating laser radiation b) a gain medium contained in the resonator cavity c) a pump for periodically pumping the gain medium, the laser system producing a radiation pulse for each pump period;
d) conditioning the radiation pulse by suppressing a portion of, but not the entirety of the radiation pulse to produce conditioned radiation;
e) outputting the conditioned radiation in the form of a laser beam f) directing the laser beam at the stent preform; and
g) impinging the laser beam onto the stent preform to cut a desired pattern in the stent preform. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of processing a medical device preform comprising the steps of:
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providing a medical device preform;
providing a laser system comprising;
a) a resonator cavity for resonating laser radiation b) a gain medium contained in the resonator cavity c) a pump for periodically pumping the gain medium, the laser system producing a radiation pulse for each pump period;
d) conditioning the radiation pulse by suppressing a portion of, but not the entirety of the radiation pulse to produce conditioned radiation;
e) outputting the conditioned radiation in the form of a laser beam f) directing the laser beam at the medical device preform; and
g) impinging the laser beam onto the medical device preform to modify the surface of the medical device preform. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification