Method and apparatus for cold loading articles
First Claim
1. A method of processing a tubular article having a tubular body and a central lumen comprising the steps of applying a frozen support matrix to at least a portion of the tubular article by cooling the tubular article and applying a fluid to the tubular article whereby the fluid forms the frozen support matrix across the central lumen of the tubular article;
- processing the supported tubular article whereby the frozen support matrix supports the tubular body of the tubular article; and
removing the frozen matrix from the tubular article.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of loading an article, such as a self-expanding stent, into a structures, such as a delivery catheter, including the steps of chilling the article to a predetermined temperature, reducing article size a predetermined amount, inserting fluid into the article, whereby the fluid forms a substantially solid plug with respect to the article, and moving the frozen article. Also provided is an apparatus for loading an article into a structure including: an article size reduction element, a chiller connected to the size reduction element, a cold source communicatively connected to the chiller, and a fluid supply communicatively connected to the size reduction element.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of processing a tubular article having a tubular body and a central lumen comprising the steps of applying a frozen support matrix to at least a portion of the tubular article by cooling the tubular article and applying a fluid to the tubular article whereby the fluid forms the frozen support matrix across the central lumen of the tubular article;
- processing the supported tubular article whereby the frozen support matrix supports the tubular body of the tubular article; and
removing the frozen matrix from the tubular article.
- processing the supported tubular article whereby the frozen support matrix supports the tubular body of the tubular article; and
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2. A method of processing a medical stent having a tubular body and a central lumen comprising the steps of:
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a. applying a frozen support matrix to at least a portion of the stent, the frozen matrix being formed by cooling the stent body and applying a CO2 gas to the stent whereby the CO2 gas cools and forms the frozen support matrix which is embedded in the stent body and extends across the stent lumen; b. loading the stent with the frozen support matrix into a catheter, whereby during loading, the stent is supported by the frozen support matrix; and c. removing the frozen support matrix from the stent after the stent is loaded into the catheter by sublimation. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of loading a self-expanding stent into a stent deployment catheter comprising the steps of:
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a. compressing a stent to a diameter less than the diameter of a deployment catheter lumen; b. applying a frozen matrix to at least a portion of a stent, wherein the step of applying a frozen matrix comprises the steps of;
cooling the stent to at least minus 78.5 C and applying CO2 gas to the stent, whereby the CO2 gas freezes to form the frozen matrix embedding the stent;c. processing the stent, whereby during processing, the stent is supported by the frozen matrix, wherein the step of processing the stent includes the step of pushing the stent, supported by the frozen matrix, into the stent deployment catheter lumen; and d. removing the frozen matrix from the stent after processing, wherein the step of removing the frozen matrix from the stent inside the deployment catheter, is accomplished by sublimation.
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Specification