Optimized drug-eluting stent assembly

1. A stent assembly, comprising:

a stent configured to be positioned in a body lumen; and

a knitted stent jacket comprising an expansible mesh structure disposed over a circumference of the stent and along an entire thereof, the mesh structure being formed from a single fiber and having a coverage area of about 9% to less than 25% relative to the coverage area of a plurality of apertures therein, the apertures having approximate aperture diameters greater than 20 micrometers up to a minimum center dimension of 234 micrometers and the knitted stent jacket being coaxially associated with the stent,

wherein the stent assembly elutes an amount of an active pharmaceutical agent that is present therein, and wherein the fiber has a diameter of approximately 7 micrometers to 40 micrometers.

2. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent is eluted from the stent.

3. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent is eluted from a coating disposed over a portion of the stent.

4. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent is time-released according to a predetermined treatment schedule.

5. The stent assembly of claim 4 , wherein the treatment schedule covers a period of 8 hours to a plurality of months.

6. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent is eluted from the knitted stent jacket.

7. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent is eluted from a coating on the expansible mesh structure.

8. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial association comprises the knitted stent jacket being sewed, adhered, glued, folded, or sutured to the stent.

9. The stent assembly of claim 7 , wherein the coaxial association is that the knitted stent jacket is sutured to the stent.

10. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein a proximal portion of the knitted stent jacket is attached to a proximal portion of the stent.

11. The stent assembly of claim 10 , wherein a distal portion of the stent jacket is attached to a distal portion of the stent.

12. The stent assembly of claim 7 , wherein the amount of active pharmaceutical agent eluted comprises a therapeutically effective amount to treat a disorder in a carotid or coronary artery.

13. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent is eluted from the stent, a coating on the stent, the knitted stent jacket, a coating on the knitted stent jacket, or any combination thereof.

14. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mesh structure is formed from a polymer component comprising one or more poly lactic-co-polyglycolic (“PLGA”), polycaprolactone (“PCL”), polygluconate, polylactic acid-polyethylene oxide, poly(hydroxybutyrate), polyanhydride, poly-phosphoester, poly(amino acids), poly-L-lactide, poly-D-lactide, polyglycolide, or poly(alpha-hydroxy acid) co-polymer(s), polyethylene terephthalate, or any combination thereof.

15. The stent assembly of claim 13 , wherein the mesh structure comprises a single polymer fiber.

16. The stent assembly of claim 15 , wherein the polymer is elastic, biocompatible, and hemocompatible.

17. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expansible mesh structure comprises a retracted state and a deployed state, and further wherein the expansible mesh structure defines apertures having a minimum center dimension of 150 micrometers to 200 micrometers in the deployed state.

18. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expansible mesh structure comprises a retracted state and a deployed state, and further wherein the expansible mesh structure defines apertures having a minimum center dimension of 150 micrometers to 180 micrometers in the deployed state.

19. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent comprises zolimus, zotarolimus, sirolimus, taxol/paclitaxel, or a combination thereof.

20. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent comprises an anti-proliferative agent, an antithrombotic agent, an anticoagulant, an antioxidant, a growth factor inhibitor, a collagen inhibitor, a liposome, a steroid or corticosteroid, a statin, endothelial cell seeds, a hydrogel containing endothelial cells, or a combination thereof.

21. The stent assembly of claim 20 , wherein the anti-proliferative agent is present and comprises sirolimus, zolimus or zotarolimus, a taxane, tacrolimus, everolimus, vincritine, viblastine, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, doxorubicin, colchicine, actinomycin D, mitomycin C, cycloporine, mycophenolic acid, triazolopyrimidine, or a combination thereof; wherein the antithrombotic agent is present and comprises heparin, a heparin-like dextran derivative, acid citrate dextrose, coumadin, warfarin, streptokinase, anistreplase, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase, abciximab, or a combination thereof; wherein the growth factor inhibitor is present and comprises tranilast, angiopeptin, or a combination thereof; wherein the steroid or corticosteroid is present and comprises cortisone, prednisolone, or both; wherein the statin is present and comprises simvastatin, lovastatin, or a combination thereof; or any combination of the foregoing.

22. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stent assembly comprises 1 microgram to 200 micrograms of each pharmaceutical agent.

23. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mesh of the knitted stent jacket comprises 1 microgram to 200 micrograms of each pharmaceutical agent.

24. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent comprises a 'limus drug at a concentration of 10 μg/mm 2 to 80 μg/mm 2 .

25. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active pharmaceutical agent comprises a 'limus drug at a concentration of 80 μg/mm 2 to 140 μg/mm 2 .

26. The stent assembly of claim 2 , wherein the stent comprises a metal alloy coated with a biodegradable polymer, biostable polymer, bioresorbable polymer, or a combination thereof.

27. The stent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stent comprises a biodegradable material.

28. The stent assembly of claim 27 , wherein the biodegradable material comprises a polymer.

29. The stent assembly of claim 27 , wherein the biodegradable material comprises a metal alloy.