Method of making a medicated stent
View Patent ↗A stent has surface sculpturing, preferably on its outer surface only, having, for example, microspheres, having the function of increasing the actual geometric surface area of the stent, of creating undercuts and roughness to encourage the application of coatings of active or activatable agents, as well as of improving the attachment of the stent to the blood vessel wall.
1. A method of making a medicated stent comprising:
providing a tubular body portion having an inner surface and an outer surface and defining a stent thickness therebetween;
laser cutting a plurality of apertures in the tubular body portion extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, the apertures being positioned such that the tubular body portion is expandable from a radially-contracted position to a radially-expanded position;
laser cutting a plurality of incisions in the outer surface of the tubular body portion, the incisions being defined at least in part by first and second side walls and a bottom surface between the side walls, a radial distance between the outer surface of the tubular body portion and the bottom surface of the incisions comprising an incision depth, the incision depth being less than the stent thickness;
coating the tubular body of the stent with a biocompatible carbon material; and
after the coating step, applying an outer coating in the plurality of incisions, the outer coating including an active agent.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of laser cutting the apertures is performed before the step of laser cutting the incisions.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of laser cutting the incisions is performed before the step of laser cutting the apertures.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the active agent is an antithrombogenic agent.
5. A method of making a medicated stent comprising:
providing a tubular body portion having an inner surface and an outer surface and defining a stent thickness therebetween;
laser cutting a plurality of apertures in the tubular body portion extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, the apertures being positioned such that the tubular body portion is expandable from a radially-contracted position to a radially-expanded position;
laser cutting a plurality of incisions in the outer surface of the tubular body portion, the incisions being defined at least in part by first and second side walls and a bottom surface between the side walls, a radial distance between the outer surface of the tubular body portion and the bottom surface of the incisions comprising an incision depth, the incision depth being less than the stent thickness; and
coating the outer surface of the tubular body portion such that the coating is deposited in the plurality of incisions, the coating being the outermost layer of the medicated stent, the coating comprising an active agent.
6. A method of making a medicated stent for deployment at a treatment site in a vessel of a human body comprising:
providing a tubular body portion having an inner surface and an outer surface and defining a stent thickness therebetween;
laser cutting a plurality of apertures in the tubular body portion extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, the apertures being positioned such that the tubular body portion is expandable from a radially-contracted position to a radially-expanded position;
laser cutting a plurality of incisions in the outer surface of the tubular body portion, the incisions being defined at least in part by first and second side walls and a bottom surface between the side walls, a radial distance between the outer surface of the tubular body portion and the bottom surface of the incisions comprising an incision depth, the incision depth being less than the stent thickness; and
depositing an active agent in the plurality of incisions in a manner that results in direct contact between the active agent and the walls of the vessel when the medicated stent is deployed at the treatment site in the vessel.
7. A method of making a medicated stent for deployment at a treatment site in a vessel of a human body comprising:
providing a tubular body portion having an inner surface and an outer surface and defining a stent thickness therebetween;
laser cutting a plurality of apertures in the tubular body portion extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, the apertures being positioned such that the tubular body portion is expandable from a radially-contracted position to a radially-expanded position;
laser cutting a plurality of incisions in the outer surface of the tubular body portion, the incisions being defined at least in part by first and second side walls and a bottom surface between the side walls, a radial distance between the outer surface of the tubular body portion and the bottom surface of the incisions comprising an incision depth, the incision depth being less than the stent thickness; and
depositing a coating including an active agent in the plurality of incisions such that when the medicated stent is deployed at the treatment site in the vessel the coating is in direct contact with a wall of the vessel.