Stent Coating Device

• US 20100323092A1
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Shekalim, Avraham, Shmulewitz, Ascher
• Application Number:
  US12/853,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20100323092A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/2.24
• 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 ink-jet 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 of.

Claims

1-52. -52. (canceled)

53. A coating method for selectively applying a coating to surfaces of an object, the application of the coating based upon optical properties of the surfaces of the object such that the coating is applied to surfaces of a first type and is not applied to surfaces of a second type, the first type of surface being optically distinguishable from the second type of surface, the coating method comprising:

(a) optically scanning at least a portion of the object using at least one optical scanning device so as to produce output indicative of the different types of surfaces;

(b) selectively activating at least a first coating applicator and a second coating applicator in response to said output, thereby applying a first layer of a first coating with the first coating applicator on the first type of surface and a second layer of a second coating with the second coating applicator on the first type of surface.

64. A coating method for selectively applying a plurality of layers of coating material onto surfaces of an object, the coating method comprising:

selectively activating at least a first coating applicator and a second coating applicator, thereby applying a layer of a first coating with the first coating applicator and a layer of a second coating with the second coating applicator on the surface of the object,

wherein the first coating comprises a first material and the second coating comprises a second material different than the first material.