Device for drying coated stents

• US 9,500,409 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated), ATS Automation Tooling Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated), ATS Automation Tooling Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Watterodt, Sidney, Park, Sang joon, Rego, David, Andreacchi, Anthony S., Chen, Yung-Ming, Currlin, Arnoldo M., Garcia, Antonio, Van Sciver, Jason, Glenn, Bryan D., Gillick, Matthew J., Papp, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gravini, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US14/177,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 34/78, 342/01, 342/10, 342/18, 126/273.5, 118/500, 118/502, 623/1.46, 623/1.47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/42 Plastics B23K2103/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/402 involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 15/04 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 15/18 the objects or batches of materials being carried by endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/003 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/06 Chambers, containers, or receptacles large containers having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents B65D88/74
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/12 Walls or sides; Doors

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods and devices for drying coated stents in an oven are described herein.

Claims

1. A device for drying coated stents comprising:

an oven including an oven support member for conveying a plurality of coated stents supported by the oven support member, the stents being conveyed through movement of the oven support member; and

a buffer support member for supporting stents removed from the oven and for supporting additional stents awaiting disposing in the oven.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the buffer support member comprises a rotatable dial for supporting stents.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring the stents removed from the oven to the buffer support member and for transferring the additional stents to the oven.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a rotatable plate that moves a stent gripping mechanism between the buffer support member and the oven and between the oven and the buffer support member.