Device viewable under an imaging beam
The invention provides a stent made from a material operable to perform a stent's desired therapeutic functions, and also made from a material that has a radiopacity that substantially preserves the appearance of the stent when the stent is viewed under a CT imaging beam. Such a stent can allow for follow-up of the stent and the surrounding blood-vessel on CT.
1. A stent, comprising:
a material having structure to provide three-dimensional visualization of a surrounding tissue when said stent is inserted into said tissue and viewed under an imaging beam,
said stent having:
a single coating layer selected from a group consisting of: a hydrophilic polymer, a hydrophobic polymer, and a fatty acid polymer;
a density enhancing radiologic opacifier embedded into said single coating layer, said single coating layer and said embedded opacifier material together providing a first Hounsfield image density suitable for viewing under a first image modality used during device insertion into a patient, wherein said density enhancing radiologic opacifier material is configured to elute from said single coating layer so as to provide a second Hounsfield image density suitable for viewing under a second image modality used for subsequent visualization of surrounding tissue, and wherein the second Hounsfield image density is less than about 1200 Hounsfield Units; and
a restenosis inhibiting drug embedded into said single coating layer.
2. The stent of claim 1 , wherein residual radiographic density measurements of said stent provide a measure of said restenosis inhibiting drug still retained within said polymer.
3. The stent of claim 1 , wherein said stent is configured to elute said density enhancing radiologic opacifier material by bulk erosion.
4. The stent of claim 1 , wherein said stent is configured to elute said density enhancing radiologic opacifier material by surface erosion.
5. The stent of claim 1 , wherein said stent is configured to elute said density enhancing radiologic opacifier material by diffusion.
6. The stent of claim 1 , wherein said stent is configured to elute said density enhancing radiologic opacifier material by degradation.
7. The stent of claim 1 , wherein said imaging comprises CT.
8. The stent of claim 1 , wherein said imaging comprises MR.