Stent Coating Device

• US 20090288597A1
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Labcoat Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Teichman, Eyal, Shekalim, Avraham, Shmulewitz, Ascher
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/668
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0442 Installation or apparatus for applying liquid or other fluent material to separate articles rotated during spraying operation
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0216 by relative movement of article and outlet according to a predetermined path

Abstract

The present invention is a method and device, which is suitable for use in an operating theater just prior to implantation, for selectively applying a medical coating to an implantable medical device, for example a stent. Disclosed is a device for use with a stent deployed on a catheter balloon. The device is configured to apply a medical coating of a desired thickness to the surface of a stent only. This is done by use of a drop-on-demand inkjet printing system in association with an optical scanning device. The device is further configured so as to, if necessary, apply a plurality of layered coats, each layered coat being of a different coating material, and if appropriate, different thickness. The section of the housing in which the stent is held during the coating procedure is detachable from the housing base. The detachable housing section may be easily cleaned and re-sterilized or simply disposed or simply disposed of.

Claims

1. A system for applying a coating to a prosthesis, the system comprising:

an applicator, the applicator being configured to apply the coating to the prosthesis; and

an applicator controller, the applicator controller being configured to communicate with the applicator, the applicator controller being adapted for on-the-fly coating wherein a translation of the applicator and a drop-on-demand delivery by the applicator are substantially synchronous.

2. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a detector, the detector being configured to pre-scan the prosthesis to obtain coordinates of the prosthesis which are to be coated, the detector further being configured to provide the coordinates to be coated to the applicator controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the applicator and the applicator controller form an application control module.

4. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a detector and a servo controller,

the detector being configured to pre-scan the prosthesis to obtain coordinates of the prosthesis which are to be coated, the detector further configured to send the coordinates to be coated to the servo controller.

5. The system of claim 4, the servo controller further maintaining a Z-drive within a predetermined range of velocity, the Z-drive being coupled to the applicator.

6. The system of claim 4, the system further comprising a feedback device, the feedback device being configured to provide data to the servo controller, the servo controller being configured to signal the applicator controller using the data from the feedback device with reference to the coordinates to be coated obtained from the detector.

7. The system of claim 6, where in the data being provided to the servo controller being a velocity the applicator and a Z position of the applicator.

8. The system of claim 6, the system further comprising a Z-drive, the Z-drive being coupled to the applicator, the Z-drive receiving instructions from the servo controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the servo controller, the Z-drive, the feedback device, and the applicator controller form an application control module.

10. The system of claim 4, the servo controller further configured to interact with an axis of rotation and to thereby determine a next location for the applicator based on a last location and a time it takes a Z-drive to move the applicator to the next location.

11. A computer program comprising:

a program code for providing a prosthesis having identifiable features;

a program code for pre-scanning the prosthesis prior to coating to identify the features and to obtain coating coordinates for the features; and

a program code for depositing a coating material at desired regions of the prosthesis as a function of the coordinates.

12. The computer program of claim 11, further comprising:

a program code for determining paths between the coating coordinates for an applicator.

13. The computer program of claim 12, further comprising:

a program code for determining a sequence for the coating coordinates.

14. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising:

a program code for determining vectors between the coating coordinates in the sequence.

15. The computer program of claim 11, further comprising:

a program code for determining a predetermined path independent of the coating coordinates.

16. A system for applying a coating to a prosthesis, the system comprising:

an applicator;

a detector; and

a processing unit;

the processing unit being programmed with

a length of the prosthesis;

a desired incremental linear movement;

a desired incremental angular movement; and

a reference point;

the detector being configured to look for a target on the prosthesis, the detector being configured to send a signal to the applicator to drop-on demand when a target is found;

the detector and the applicator being configured to complete a plurality of linear paths and a plurality of angular moves, each linear path being separated by an angular move, a first linear path beginning at the reference point;

each linear path comprising a plurality of incremental linear movements, the sum of the plurality of incremental linear movements being at least equal to the length of the prosthesis; and

each angular move being equal to the desired incremental angular movement, the sum of the plurality of incremental angular movements being at least equal to 360 degrees.