Method of fabricating a stent with features by blow molding
First Claim
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1. A method of manufacturing a stent, the method comprising:
- disposing a polymeric tube into a cylindrical mold, the cylindrical mold having a protrusion or indentation on the inside surface of the mold;
radially expanding the tube by blowing a gas or liquid into the cylindrical mold, the outside surface of the tube conforming to protrusion or indentation on the inside surface of the mold, the protrusion in the mold causing an indentation on the outside surface of the tube, or the indentation in the mold causing a protrusion on the outside surface of the tube; and
fabricating a stent with the expanded tube, wherein the fabricating comprises laser cutting a pattern having the indentation or protrusion on the surface of a strut.
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Abstract
The invention provides a method of manufacturing a stent, the method comprising: disposing a polymeric tube into a cylindrical mold, the cylindrical mold having a variable diameter along a portion of the inside surface of the mold; radially expanding the tube by blowing a gas or liquid into the cylindrical mold, the outside surface of the tube conforming to the variable diameter portion of the outside surface of the mold, causing the radially expanded tube to have a variable diameter along the conformed length of the tube; and fabricating a stent from the expanded tube.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a stent, the method comprising:
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disposing a polymeric tube into a cylindrical mold, the cylindrical mold having a protrusion or indentation on the inside surface of the mold; radially expanding the tube by blowing a gas or liquid into the cylindrical mold, the outside surface of the tube conforming to protrusion or indentation on the inside surface of the mold, the protrusion in the mold causing an indentation on the outside surface of the tube, or the indentation in the mold causing a protrusion on the outside surface of the tube; and fabricating a stent with the expanded tube, wherein the fabricating comprises laser cutting a pattern having the indentation or protrusion on the surface of a strut. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12)
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4. A method of manufacturing a stent, the method comprising:
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disposing a polymeric tube into a cylindrical mold, the cylindrical mold having a protrusion or indentation on the inside surface of the mold; radially expanding the tube by blowing a gas or liquid into the cylindrical mold, the outside surface of the tube conforming to protrusion or indentation on the inside surface of the mold, the protrusion in the mold causing an indentation on the outside surface of the tube, or the indentation in the mold causing a protrusion on the outside surface of the tube; and fabricating a stent with the expanded tube, wherein the stent is fabricated so that bending portions are located in thicker portions of the stent. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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8. A method of manufacturing a stent, the method comprising:
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disposing a polymeric tube into a cylindrical mold, the cylindrical mold having an indentation or a protrusion on the inside surface of the mold; radially expanding the tube by blowing a gas or liquid into the cylindrical mold, the outside surface of the tube conforming to the indentation or protrusion of the inside surface of the mold, the indentation or protrusion on the mold causing a feature on the outside surface of the tube; and fabricating a stent with the expanded tube, wherein the fabricating comprises cutting a pattern having the indentation or protrusion on the surface of a strut. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 14)
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Specification