Reduced temperature sterilization of stents
Methods and systems for reduced temperature radiation sterilization of stents are disclosed.
1. A method of sterilizing a stent comprising:
providing a stent-catheter assembly including a polymer stent crimped to a balloon of a balloon catheter;
providing a radiation barrier adjacent the stent;
selecting a sterilization temperature for the stent;
cooling the stent to the sterilization temperature; and
exposing the stent-catheter assembly to a dose of radiation;
wherein the radiation barrier is arranged such that an uniformity of dose received by the stent is increased over a dose received by the stent in the absence of the radiation barrier.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiation barrier is arranged such that the uniformity of dose received by the stent is increased over a portion of the balloon catheter portion of the stent-catheter assembly.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling step takes place before or after the exposing step.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiation barrier is made of a foam material.
5. The method of claim 1 , further providing a container comprising the radiation barrier.
6. A method of sterilizing a stent comprising:
providing a stent-catheter assembly including a polymer stent crimped to a balloon of a balloon catheter;
providing a radiation barrier adjacent the stent;
selecting a sterilization temperature for the stent;
cooling the stent to the sterilization temperature; and
exposing the stent-catheter assembly to at least one dose of radiation;
wherein the radiation barrier is arranged such that an uniformity of dose received by the stent is increased over a dose received by the stent in the absence of the radiation barrier.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the stent-catheter assembly is exposed to a plurality of doses of radiation.