Temporal intraluminal stent, methods of making and using
A biodegradable polymer stent with radiopacity and a method of making and using a stent with enhanced mechanical strength and/or controlled degradation for use in a bodily lumen is described.
1. A method of making a polymer stent with enhanced mechanical strength comprising the steps of:
(a) dip-coating a mandrel with a solution comprising one or more biocompatible polymers to form a polymer tube;
(b) spin-drying the polymer tube around its longitudinal axis;
(c) solvent-polishing and vacuum drying the polymer tube;
(d) repeating steps a-c until the polymer tube reaches a desired thickness;
(e) necking the polymer tube by drawing the mandrel bearing the polymer tube through one or more necking dies of decreasing diameter, wherein said necking is carried out at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer and below the melting temperature of the polymer;
(f) annealing the polymer tube with an inert gas;
(g) removing the polymer tube from the mandrel; and
(h) creating a design in said polymer tube.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said design is created by laser cutting said polymer tube.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprising one or more biocompatible polymers also comprises one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprising one or more biocompatible polymers is used in all repetitions of the dip-coating step.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said solution comprising one or more biocompatible polymers comprises at least two solutions and said repeating step comprises dip-coating the mandrel in a different solution in each repetition.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more biocompatible polymers forming the polymer tube includes an iodinated contrast agent.