METHODS AND DEVICES FOR DRYING COATED STENTS

• US 20080307668A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated), ATS Automation Tooling Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ATS Automation Tooling Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Watterodt, Sidney, Andreacchi, Anthony S., Glenn, Bryan D., Chen, Yung-Ming, Park, Sang joon, Garcia, Antonio, Van Sciver, Jason, Rego, David, Currlin, Amoldo M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/282
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/42 Plastics B23K2103/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/402 involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 15/04 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 15/18 the objects or batches of materials being carried by endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/003 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/06 Chambers, containers, or receptacles large containers having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents B65D88/74
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/12 Walls or sides; Doors

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods and devices for drying coated stents in an oven are described herein.

Claims

1. A method of drying coated stents comprising:

conveying a plurality of coated stents mounted on a movable support member within an oven to dry a coating on the stents; and

periodically removing one of the plurality of stents and disposing an additional coated stent on the movable support member so that the additional stent can be conveyed within the oven to dry a coating on the additional coated stent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stents are conveyed through movement of the movable support member within the oven.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the movable support member comprises a rotatable dial having a plurality of holes for supporting the plurality of stents.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rotatable dial rotates to position the dial so that an additional stent can be disposed in a hole on the dial or so that the dried stent can be removed from the dial.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the removed stent to a buffer support member for supporting the removed stents.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the additional stent from a buffer support member to the oven, the buffer support member capable of supporting additional stents awaiting transfer to the oven.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing removed stents and additional stents on a buffer support member.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the buffer support member comprises a rotatable dial that rotates to position the dial so that the removed stent can be disposed on the dial and the additional stent can be removed from the dial.

9. A device for drying coated stents comprising:

an oven including a movable support member for conveying a plurality of coated stents supported by the movable support member while being dried in the oven; and

a transfer mechanism capable of removing a dried stent on the movable support member from the oven and disposing an additional coated stent on the movable support member so that the additional stent can be conveyed within the oven to dry a coating on the additional stent.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a gripping mechanism for transferring the dried stent out of the oven and transferring the additional stent to the oven.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a rotatable plate that moves a stent gripping mechanism between a stent storage member and the oven and between the oven and the stent storage member.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a first stent gripper and a second stent gripper, the first stent gripper configured to remove the dried stent from the movable support member in the oven, the second stent gripper configured to dispose the additional stent on the movable support member in the oven.

13. The device of claim 9, further comprising a buffer support member for supporting stents removed from the oven and for supporting additional stents awaiting disposing in the oven.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the oven comprises an enclosure around the movable support member, the enclosure comprising an opening to allow the transfer mechanism to remove the dried stent from the oven and dispose the additional stent in the oven.

15. The device of claim 9, further comprising a movable door that is movable to cover an opening in an enclosure around the movable support member.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the door is movable from a bottom of the opening to a top of the opening.

17. A device for drying coated stents comprising:

an oven including an oven support member for conveying a plurality of coated stents supported by the oven support member, the stents being conveyed through movement of the oven support member; and

a buffer support member for supporting stents removed from the oven and for supporting additional stents awaiting disposing in the oven.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the buffer support member comprises a rotatable dial for supporting stents.

19. The device of claim 17, further comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring the stents removed from the oven to the buffer support member and for transferring the additional stents to the oven.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a rotatable plate that moves a stent gripping mechanism between the buffer support member and the oven and between the oven and the buffer support member.

21. A method of drying coated stents comprising:

conveying a plurality of coated stents mounted on a movable support member within an oven enclosure to dry the coating on the stents, the stents being conveyed through movement of the movable support member within the oven.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of coated stents are conveyed along the same path within the oven enclosure.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the residence time within the oven of each of the plurality of coated stents is the same or substantially the same.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the movable support member comprises a rotatable dial.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the movable support member comprises a conveyor belt.

26. A device for drying coated stents comprising:

an oven enclosure including a rotatable dial, the rotatable dial being disposed within the oven enclosure, wherein the rotatable dial is configured to support a plurality of stents so that the stents can be conveyed within the oven enclosure to dry a coating on the stents, the stents conveyed by rotation of the dial.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the dial comprises a lip around a periphery of the dial, the lip including a plurality of holes for supporting stents.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the oven enclosure comprises an opening to allow removal of a dried stent from the oven and disposal of an additional stent in the oven.

29. The device of claim 26, further comprising a movable door that is movable to cover an opening in the oven to allow removal of a dried stent from the oven and disposal of an additional stent in the oven.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the door is movable from a bottom of the opening to a top of the opening.

31. A device for drying coated stents comprising:

an oven enclosure including a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being disposed within the oven enclosure, wherein the conveyor belt being configured to support a plurality of coated stents so that the stents can be conveyed within the oven enclosure to dry a coating on the stents, the stents conveyed through movement of the belt through the oven enclosure.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the conveyor belt comprises a lip along a length of the belt, the lip including a plurality of holes for supporting stents.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the conveyor belt comprises perforations for engaging with a gear.

34. The device of claim 31, further comprising at least one gear for guiding and/or driving the conveyor belt within the oven enclosure.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the conveyor belt follows a zig-zag pattern within the oven enclosure.

36. The device of claim 31, wherein the oven enclosure comprises an opening, the conveyor belt extending through the opening into the oven.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein a door is disposed in the opening that opens to allow a stent supported on the conveyor belt to enter the oven enclosure.

38. The device of claim 31, wherein the oven enclosure comprises an opening, the conveyor belt extending through the opening out of the oven.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein a door is disposed in the opening that opens to allow a stent supported on the conveyor belt to exit the oven enclosure.

40. The device of claim 31, further comprising a loading enclosure attached to the oven enclosure for loading stents on the conveyor belt, a path of the conveyor belt passing from the loading enclosure, into the oven enclosure, and back into the loading enclosure.

41. A device for drying coated stents comprising:

an enclosure attached to an oven, the enclosure including a conveyor belt configured to support a plurality of stents so that the stents can be conveyed into the oven for drying and out from the oven to allow for unloading from the conveyor belt.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein the conveyor belt comprises perforations for engaging with a gear.

43. The device of claim 41, further comprising at least one gear for guiding and/or driving the conveyor belt within the enclosure.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein the enclosure includes a sensor for detecting stents entering or exiting the oven.

45. The device of claim 41, wherein the enclosure includes a door to allow loading or unloading of stents on the conveyor belt.