Device for Drying Coated Stents

• US 20140150282A1
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Published: 06/05/2014
• 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: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated), ATS Automation Tooling Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Watterodt, Sidney, Park, Sang joon, Rego, David, Andreacchi, Anthony S., Chen, Yung-Ming, Garcia, Antonio, Van Sciver, Jason, Glenn, Bryan D., Gillick, Matthew J., Papp, John E., Currlin, Arnoldo M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,500,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/201
• 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 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.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the buffer support member comprises a rotatable dial for supporting stents.

3. The device of claim 1, 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.

4. The device of claim 3, 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.

5. 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.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the dial comprises a lip around a periphery of the dial, the lip including a plurality of holes for supporting stents.

7. The device of claim 5, 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.

8. The device of claim 5, 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.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the door is movable from a bottom of the opening to a top of the opening.

10. 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.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the conveyor belt comprises a lip along a length of the belt, the lip including a plurality of holes for supporting stents.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the conveyor belt comprises perforations for engaging with a gear.

13. The device of claim 10, further comprising at least one gear for guiding and/or driving the conveyor belt within the oven enclosure.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the conveyor belt follows a zig-zag pattern within the oven enclosure.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the oven enclosure comprises an opening, the conveyor belt extending through the opening into the oven.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein a door is disposed in the opening that opens to allow a stent supported on the conveyor belt to enter the oven enclosure.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the oven enclosure comprises an opening, the conveyor belt extending through the opening out of the oven.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein a door is disposed in the opening that opens to allow a stent supported on the conveyor belt to exit the oven enclosure.

19. The device of claim 10, 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.