Method of making active embolic coil

• US 7,416,757 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Codman & Shurtleff Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Neurovascular, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Li, Yufu, Li, Zhigang, Lorenzo, Juan A., Davis, Richard Champion III, Vyakarnam, Murty N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, III; William P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sellman; Cachet I
• Application Number:
  US11/100,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 427/2.24, 427/2.12, 427/175, 427/176, 427/2.25, 427/171, 427/2.1, 118/26, 118/28, 118/30, 118/33, 118/400, 118/404, 118/419, 118/420, 118/421, 118/423, 118/500, 606/108, 606/200, 600/585
• US Class Current: 427/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12145 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00831 Material properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2420/02 Methods for coating medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2430/36 for embolization or occlusion, e.g. vaso-occlusive compositions or devices artificial blood vessels A61L27/507
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials

Abstract

A polymeric coating is applied to at least one embolic coil carried in a fixture, at least a portion of said embolic coil being generally vertical and straight. The coil is carried in the fixture during the processing, and may remain in the fixture if desired for further steps of processing.

Claims

1. A method of applying a polymeric coating to at least one embolic coil, which comprises:

passing one end of the embolic coil through an aperture in a spreading member to straighten the coil;

attaching said one end of the embolic coil to an upper holder positioned above said spreading member, the embolic coil portion that extends from the upper holder to said aperture being generally vertical and straight;

applying to said embolic coil a dispersion of a polymeric coating formulation in a solvent; and

passing portions of said embolic coil which are below said spreading member through said spreading member, to cause substantially the entire embolic coil, with said polymeric coating formulation applied, to be vertical and straight;

removing the spreading member and the upper holder while in fixed position relative to each other and removing the embolic coil from further contact with said coating formulation; and

drying said embolic coil.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the portion of said embolic coil positioned below said spreading member is generally bunched into a wad of curved, bunched embolic coil portions.

3. The method of claim 1 in which a lower end of said embolic coil is attached to a lower holder, which lower holder is held in fixed position relative to the spreading member.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the dispersion of polymeric coating is applied to the embolic coil by immersion into a container holding said dispersion.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the upper holder rises and the spreading member is stationary and immersed in the dispersion, to pass portions of the embolic coil upwardly through said spreading member, to straighten and hold vertical substantially the entire embolic coil.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the embolic coil is removed from said further contact with the coating formulation by lowering the container of said dispersion.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the lower end of said embolic coil is attached to a lower holder, which lower holder is held in fixed position relative to the spreading member.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the portion of said embolic coil positioned below said spreading member is generally bunched into a wad of curved, bunched embolic coil portions.

9. The method of claim 1 in which a plurality of said upper holders and spreading members are present, holding a plurality of said embolic coils.

10. The method of claim 1 in which said embolic coil is further processed, prior to removal of the coil from the upper holder and spreading member.

11. The method of claim 1 in which said dispersion of a polymeric coating is applied to the embolic coil by a spray.

12. The method of claim 1 in which said embolic coil is held between the spreading member and the upper holder in a manner whereby individual coils of the embolic coil are spaced from each other, to facilitate access of the polymeric coating between the coils.

13. The method of claim 12 in which said coils are spaced by essentially 0.001-0.1 inch.

14. The method of applying a polymeric coating to at least one embolic coil, which comprises:

attaching one end of the embolic coil to an upper holder positioned above a spreading member;

passing one end of the embolic coil through an aperture in said spreading member whereby the embolic coil portion that extends from the upper holder to said aperture is generally vertical and straight;

applying to said embolic coil a dispersion of a polymeric coating formulation in a solvent;

passing portions of said embolic coil which are below said spreading member through said spreading member, to cause substantially the entire embolic coil, with said polymeric coating formulation applied, to be vertical and straight, said embolic coil positioned below said spreading member being generally bunched into a wad of curved, bunched embolic coil portions;

removing from said container the embolic coil, held with the spreading member and upper holder, while in fixed position relative to each other, from further contact with said coating formulation; and

drying the embolic coil.

15. The method of claim 14 in which said step of applying said dispersion comprises immersing said embolic coil into a container holding said dispersion in said solvent.

16. The method of claim 15 in which said portions of said embolic coil below said spreading member are passed through said spreading member by raising said upper holder relative to the spreading member.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the lower end of said embolic coil is attached to a lower holder, which lower holder is held in a fixed position relative to the spreading member.

18. The method of claim 16 in which a plurality of said upper holders and spreading members are present, holding a plurality of said embolic coils together in a single fixture.