Method for manufacturing a medical device having a coated portion by laser ablation

• US 6,517,888 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Shrive P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Michener, Jennifer Kolb
• Application Number:
  US09/724,503
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 427/2.24, 427/2.28, 427/2.1, 427/553, 427/554, 427/555, 427/556, 427/307, 427/230, 427/239, 427/256, 427/287
• US Class Current: 427/2.24
• 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: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/18 Modification of implant surfaces in order to improve biocompatibility, cell growth, fixation of biomolecules, e.g. plasma treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/08 Materials for coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/34 Coated articles , e.g. plated or painted; Surface treated articles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/05 Stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/08 Non-ferrous metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/14 Titanium or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/16 Composite materials , e.g. fibre reinforced
• 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 2103/52 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0624 using ultrashort pulses, i.e. pulses of 1ns or less
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/382 by boring
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a medical device having a coated portion which comprises obtaining a structure having an inner surface and an outer surface; coating at least a portion of the inner or outer surface with a first coating material; and ablating the coated tubular structure with a laser to form at least one opening therein to form the coated portion. A plate can be used instead of the structure, and the plate is folded to form the structure after the ablation. A plurality of medical devices, made of any materials and having uniform coating(s), can be easily manufactured by the method of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a coated medical device having a coated portion having at least one opening therein, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) obtaining a metal structure having an inner surface and an outer surface;

(b) coating at least a portion of the inner or outer surface of the structure with a first non-metallic coating material to form a coated structure; and

(c) simultaneously ablating through the coating material and structure of the coated structure with an ultrashort-pulse laser to form at least one opening therein.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure is a tubular structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a stent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises only coating the inner surface of the structure with the first coating material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises only coating the outer surface of the structure with the first coating material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

(i) coating the inner surface of the structure with the first coating material and

(ii) coating the outer surface of the structure with a second non-metallic coating material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first coating material and the second coating material are the same.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by dipping the surface into the coating composition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by spray-coating the coating composition onto the surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coating material comprises a polymer and a biologically active material.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coating material comprises a biologically active material, and the coating step (b) is conducted by immobilizing the first coating material onto at least a portion of the surface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the coated structure is ablated to form a plurality of openings therein that define a plurality of struts.

13. The method of claim 1, which further comprises cutting the coated structure into sections to form more than one coated portion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cutting step is conducted between coating step and the ablating step.

15. A method for manufacturing a coated medical device having a coated portion having at least one opening therein, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) obtaining a metal plate having a first surface and a second surface;

(b) coating at least a portion of the first surface or second surface with a first non-metallic coating material to form a coated plate;

(c) simultaneously ablating through the coating material and plate of the coated plate with an ultrashort-pulse laser to form at least one opening therein; and

(d) forming the coated plate into a tubular medical device.

16. The method of claim 15, which further comprises forming a tubular structure from the coated and ablated plate obtained in step (c).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the medical device is a stent.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein step (b) comprises only coating the first surface of the plate with the first coating material.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein step (b) comprises only coating the second surface of the plate with the first coating material.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein step (b) comprises:

(i) coating the first surface of the plate with the first coating material and

(ii) coating the second surface of the plate with a second non-metallic coating material.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the first coating material and the second coating material are the same.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by dipping the surface into the coating composition.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by spray-coating the coating composition onto the surface.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the first coating material comprises a biologically active material, and coating is conducted by immobilizing the first coating material onto at least of a portion of the surface.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the first coating material comprises a polymer and a biologically active material.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the coated plate is ablated to form a plurality of openings therein that define a plurality of struts.

27. The method of claim 15, which further comprises cutting the coated plate into sections and forming more than one coated and ablated tubular structure.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the cutting step is conducted between the coating step and the ablating step.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the coated plate is cut as it is ablated.

30. A method for manufacturing a coated medical device having a coated portion having at least one opening therein, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) obtaining a metal structure having an inner surface and an outer surface;

(b) coating at least a portion of the inner or outer surface of the structure with a first non-metallic coating material to form a coated structure; and

(c) simultaneously ablating through the coating material and structure of the coated structure with a laser to form at least one opening therein.

31. A method for manufacturing a coated medical device having a coated portion having at least one opening therein, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) obtaining a metal plate having a first surface and a second surface;

(b) coating at least a portion of the first surface or second surface of the plate with a first non-metallic coating material to form a coated plate;

(c) simultaneously ablating through the coating material and plate of the coated plate with a laser to form at least one opening therein; and

(d) forming the coated plate into a tubular medical device.