Abluminal stent coating apparatus and method of using focused acoustic energy

• US 7,976,891 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Yung-Ming, Kleiner, Lothar, Van Sciver, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Meeks; Timothy H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sellman; Cachet I
• Application Number:
  US11/305,662
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 118/668, 118/669, 118/300, 118/313, 118/679, 118/692, 118/712, 118/500, 118/503, 118/307, 427/2.1, 427/2.24, 427/2.25, 427/2.28, 427/258, 427/261, 427/257, 427/457, 427/565, 427/600, 347/46, 347/48, 347/75, 310/334
• US Class Current: 427/2.24
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/002 the substrate being rotated

Abstract

The apparatus and method use an optical feedback system to align a transducer with a stent strut. Once alignment is achieved, the transducer causes a coating to be ejected onto the stent strut and the transducer is moved along the stent strut to coat the stent strut.

Claims

1. A nozzle-less method of coating a stent, comprising:

aligning a transducer with a stent strut based on data from an optical feedback system; and

ejecting droplets of a coating substance with the transducer from a reservoir onto a stent strut, wherein the transducer is external to a reservoir housing holding a plurality of coating substances in individual reservoir compartments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical feedback system causes the movement of the transducer relative to the stent strut while the coating is being ejected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical feedback system aligns the transducer with the stent strut via rotation and translation of the stent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical feedback system aligns the transducer with the stent strut via rotation of the stent and translation of the transducer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the coating on the stent strut and recoating of the stent strut if the coating is determined to be inadequate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein energy from the transducer is focused on a fluid meniscus of the coating substance.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising causing the transducer to move so as to maintain focus on the fluid meniscus as the fluid meniscus changes.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining the height of the fluid meniscus, wherein the movement of the transducer depends on the determined height of the fluid meniscus.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising taking an image of the fluid meniscus to determine the height of the fluid meniscus.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transducer is located within an ejector holding the reservoir.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transducer is external to a reservoir housing holding the reservoir.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein energy from the transducer is focused at the interface of the coating substance and a second coating substance in the reservoir.

13. A nozzle-less method of coating a stent, comprising:

aligning a transducer with a stent strut based on data from an optical feedback system;

ejecting droplets of a coating substance with the transducer from a reservoir onto a stent strut, wherein energy from the transducer is focused on a fluid meniscus of the coating substance; and

causing the transducer to move with the fluid meniscus to maintain focus on the fluid meniscus as the fluid meniscus changes.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the height of the fluid meniscus, wherein the movement of the transducer depends on the determined height of the fluid meniscus.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising imaging the fluid meniscus to determine the height of the fluid meniscus.

16. A nozzle-less method of coating a stent, comprising:

aligning a transducer with a stent strut based on data from an optical feedback system; and

ejecting droplets of a coating substance with the transducer from a reservoir onto a stent strut, wherein energy from the transducer is focused at the interface of the coating substance and a second coating substance in the reservoir.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising causing the transducer to move when there is a change in the fluid meniscus.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the height of the fluid meniscus, wherein the movement of the transducer depends on the determined height of the fluid meniscus.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising imaging the fluid meniscus to determine the height of the fluid meniscus.