Stent coating apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a stent support including a mandrel and stent motion control; and
a nozzleless coating device includinga solution reservoir having a surface anda transducer assembly including a plurality of transducers in communication with the reservoir and an ejection controller,wherein the plurality of transducers are configured to generate droplets, andwherein the ejection controller provides on/off timing control on the plurality of transducers in generating droplets on demand, an imaging system capable of tracking movement of a stent on the stent support, and an ejection logic that decides locations of ejection points from the reservoir surface based on images received from the imaging system, andwherein all of the plurality of transducers generate in-phase waves that arrive substantially simultaneously at a predetermined ejection point wherein the plurality of transducers is submerged in the solution reservoir.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for coating abluminal surface of a stent is described. The apparatus includes a stent support, a coating device, and an imaging system. The coating device includes a solution reservoir and transducer assembly. The transducer assembly includes a plurality of transducers and a controller. Each transducer is used to generate focused acoustic waves in the coating substance in the reservoir. A controller is communicated to an image system to enable the transducers to generate droplets on demand and at the predetermined ejection points on the surface of the coating substance to coat the stent. A method for coating a stent includes stent mounting, stent movement, and droplet excitation.
359 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a stent support including a mandrel and stent motion control; and a nozzleless coating device including a solution reservoir having a surface and a transducer assembly including a plurality of transducers in communication with the reservoir and an ejection controller, wherein the plurality of transducers are configured to generate droplets, and wherein the ejection controller provides on/off timing control on the plurality of transducers in generating droplets on demand, an imaging system capable of tracking movement of a stent on the stent support, and an ejection logic that decides locations of ejection points from the reservoir surface based on images received from the imaging system, and wherein all of the plurality of transducers generate in-phase waves that arrive substantially simultaneously at a predetermined ejection point wherein the plurality of transducers is submerged in the solution reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus, comprising:
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a stent support including a mandrel and stent motion control; a nozzleless coating device including a reservoir having a surface and a transducer assembly including a plurality of transducers submerged in the reservoir and in communication with an ejection controller; an imaging system that provides to the ejection controller relative information for a strut of a stent on the stent support; and a feedback control that allows the ejection controller to reposition the stent strut proximal a droplet ejection point based on information received from the imaging system, wherein the ejection controller is configured to control the relative timing, among the plurality of transducers, at which the acoustic waves are produced by the transducers so that the acoustic waves are substantially in-phase with each other at the ejection point. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification