Drug eluting stent and method of making the same

1. A stent designed for the release of a drug, at least a portion of the stent comprising a multilayer structure, the multilayer structure comprising at least one outer layer formed of a first material, at least one inner layer formed of a second material, the second material is the same or different than the first material, the outer layer and the inner layer defining a stent wall, the stent further comprising a central portion, a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen therebetween, the wall having openings extending therethrough, the multilayer structure further comprising at least one intermediate drug eluting layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer, the intermediate drug eluting layer comprising a porous material, the porous material comprising a metal, and a drug, and wherein the outer and the inner layer elute substantially no drug and said intermediate drug eluting layer elutes drug in a lateral direction.

2. The stent of claim 1 , said stent comprising said multilayer structure at least at said proximal end of said stent, at least at said distal end of or a combination thereof.

3. The stent of claim 1 wherein said stent is a bifurcated stent further comprising a branch portion in the central portion of the stent, said stent comprising said multilayer structure at least around said branch portion of said stent.

4. The stent of claim 1 wherein said intermediate drug eluting layer comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of porous metal materials and mixtures thereof.

5. The stent of claim 1 wherein said intermediate drug eluting layer comprises porous sintered powdered metal.

6. The stent of claim 1 wherein said intermediate layer comprises stainless steel, gold, tantalum or titanium.

7. The stent of claim 1 wherein said outer layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, stainless steel enhanced with a platinum group metal, shape memory metals, cobalt-chromium alloys, radiopaque metals, and mixtures thereof.

8. The stent of claim 1 wherein said inner layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, stainless steel enhanced with a platinum group metal, shape memory metals, cobalt-chromium alloys, radiopaque metals, and mixtures thereof.

9. The stent of claim 1 wherein said inner layer is stainless steel and said outer layer is stainless steel.

10. The stent of claim 1 wherein said inner layer is platinum enriched stainless steel and said outer layer is platinum enriched stainless steel.

11. The stent of claim 1 wherein said intermediate drug eluting layer elutes drugs in a lateral direction in at least some of the openings, from the distal end, from the proximal end or some combination thereof.

12. A stent designed for the release of a drug, the stent comprising a tubular structure and a stent wall, the stent wall having an inner surface, an outer surface, a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen extending therebetween defined by the inner surface of the stent wall, the stent wall having openings extending therethrough, the stent wall comprising a metal, the stent wall comprising reservoirs which release drug in a lateral direction into at least some of the openings, from the proximal end, from the distal end or a combination thereof, the inner surface and outer surface of the stent wall are non-porous so as to elute substantially no drug.

13. A method of making an intraluminal medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a support layer in the form of a tube;

disposing at least one intermediate layer on said first tube, said intermediate layer comprising a metal, said intermediate layer comprising reservoirs;

disposing a covering layer about said intermediate layer to form a multilayer tubular structure;

cutting a stent pattern in said tube to form openings in said tube; and

depositing at least one drug in said reservoirs of said intermediate layer;

wherein said support layer and said covering layer elute substantially no drug and said resultant intermediate layer elutes drug in a lateral direction.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said drug is deposited in said reservoirs by a method selected from the group consisting of spraying, injecting and a liquid bath under pressure.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said intermediate layer is a porous sintered metal, said porous sintered metal comprising said reservoirs.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said porous sintered metal is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, gold, tantalum, titanium and alloys thereof.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said reservoirs are formed in said intermediate layer by selective etching of said intermediate layer.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said support layer is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, stainless steel enriched with at least one platinum group metal, shape memory metals, alloys of cobalt and radiopaque metals.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said covering layer is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, stainless steel enriched with at least one platinum group metal, shape memory metals, alloys of cobalt and radiopaque metals.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said covering layer and said support layer are stainless steel.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein said covering layer and said support layer are platinum enriched stainless steel.