Selectively coating luminal surfaces of stents

• US 7,867,547 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Fox, William J., Tochterman, Andrew J., Harold, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker; Frederick J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sellman; Cachet I
• Application Number:
  US11/312,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20070141232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 427/230, 427/256, 427/282, 427/300, 427 21- 231, 427/236, 427/372.2, 118/502, 118/504
• US Class Current: 427/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/02 Means for supporting work; Arrangement or mounting of spray heads; Adaptation or arrangement of means for feeding work B05B13/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0627 Arrangements of nozzles or spray heads specially adapted for treating the inside of hollow bodies B05B13/0645 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0636 by means of rotatable spray heads or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0654 and a treating nozzles being translated through the hollow bodies in a direction essentially parallel to the rotational axis B05B13/0681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/32 using means for protecting parts of a surface not to be coated, e.g. using stencils, resists
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2258/02 The objects being coated one after the other
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/22 to internal surfaces, e.g. of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53678 Compressing parts together face to face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53683 Spreading parts apart or separating them from face to face engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53909 Means comprising hand manipulatable tool

Abstract

With abluminal side of a stent masked, the luminal side of the stent is selectively coated with a substance, such as an anti-coagulant, a platelet inhibitor and/or a pro-healing substance. The stent can be masked by inserting it into a rigid mandrel chamber or by compressing a masking sleeve onto the outer side of the stent. A spray nozzle inserted into the masked stent spray coats the substance onto the luminal side. The sprayed coating can be cured onto the stent such as by inserting an electrical-resistance heater bar into the stent.

Claims

1. A coating method, comprising:

masking an abluminal side of a stent including positioning the stent within an interior chamber of a sleeve, the sleeve including a proximal end opening and a distal end channel in fluid communication with the chamber;

coating a luminal side of the masked stent with a coating substance; and

curing the coating including supplying a gas to the chamber by way of the channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sleeve has a fixed interior diameter.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the sleeve comprises a pocket and the chamber in fluid communication with the channel.

4. The method of claim 1 further including disposing a spray nozzle at least partially within a bore of the stent when spraying the coating substance.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the spraying includes moving the masked stent relative to the spray nozzle.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the spraying includes moving the spray nozzle relative to the masked stent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating substance is a polymer-solvent-drug formulation.

8. A coating method, comprising:

masking an abluminal side of a stent; and

spray coating a luminal side of the masked stent with a coating substance;

wherein the masking includes positioning the stent in a chamber of a masking sleeve; and

wherein the sleeve has a pocket at a distal end of the chamber, and the coating includes positioning a tip of a spray nozzle in the pocket.

9. The method of claim 8,

further comprising after the spray coating, removing the coated stent from the chamber and cleaning the chamber.

10. A coating method, comprising:

masking an abluminal side of a stent; and

coating a luminal side of the masked stent with a coating substance;

wherein the masking includes positioning the stent within a compressible masking sleeve.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the masking includes compressing the masking sleeve onto the abluminal side using compressed air.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the masking includes mechanically compressing the sleeve.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the masking includes pneumatically compressing the sleeve.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the masking includes compressing the masking sleeve onto the abluminal side using a crimper.

15. A coating method, comprising:

masking an abluminal side of a stent;

coating a luminal side of the masked stent with a coating substance; and

inserting a heater into the bore of the masked stent and curing the coating substance onto the luminal side;

wherein the masking includes positioning the stent in a sleeve, the sleeve including a chamber and a pocket at a distal end of the chamber; and

wherein the curing includes positioning a distal tip of the heater in the pocket.

16. A coating method, comprising:

masking an abluminal side of a stent; and

coating a luminal side of the masked stent with a coating substance;

wherein the stent is a primer adhesion layer coated stent.

17. A coating method, comprising:

compressing a sleeve onto an abluminal side of a stent to mask the abluminal side; and

coating a luminal side of the masked stent with a coating substance.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the coating is by spray coating, roll coating, electrostatic coating or vapor deposition coating.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the compressing includes mechanical compressing.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the mechanical compressing uses a radial closure mechanism.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the compressing includes pneumatic compressing.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the sleeve is a compliant plastic sleeve.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the coating includes inserting a nozzle into the masked stent and spray coating the luminal side with the nozzle.