Coating abluminal surfaces of stents and other implantable medical devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A stent support fixture, comprising:
- a mandrel;
a chuck assembly; and
an expandable rod element extending from the chuck assembly, such that the expandable rod element can be inserted into a hollow bore of a stent and expanded to securely support the stent;
wherein the expandable rod element comprises a hollow elongated tube having at least two slots extending from the chuck assembly through the body of the hollow elongated tube so as to allow the hollow elongated tube to displace radially outward when the mandrel is inserted into the hollow elongated tube.
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Abstract
A sleeve is positioned over a radially-expandable rod assembly and a stent is positioned over the sleeve. A mandrel is inserted into the rod assembly to thereby press the sleeve against the inner surface of the stent and expand the stent. A coating (such as a solvent, a polymer and/or a therapeutic substance) is then applied to the outer (abluminal) surfaces of the stent, by spraying, for example. The sleeve advantageously prevents the coating material from being applied to inner (luminal) surfaces of the stent and also allows the coating material to be efficiently applied to the abluminal surfaces.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A stent support fixture, comprising:
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a mandrel; a chuck assembly; and an expandable rod element extending from the chuck assembly, such that the expandable rod element can be inserted into a hollow bore of a stent and expanded to securely support the stent; wherein the expandable rod element comprises a hollow elongated tube having at least two slots extending from the chuck assembly through the body of the hollow elongated tube so as to allow the hollow elongated tube to displace radially outward when the mandrel is inserted into the hollow elongated tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A stent support fixture, comprising:
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a mandrel; a chuck assembly including a rear member, segments and a central bore; a tube having arm members, each arm member being connected to a segment; and radial bias flexible strips connecting the segments and arm members to the rear member; wherein the arm members are radially expanded against the flexible strips to support a stent upon the arm members when the mandrel is pressed through the central bore. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification