Method for manufacturing a stent
US5902475A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 8, 1997 |
| Grant date | May 11, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 8, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61F2240/001
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Disclosed herewithin is a method of fabricating a stent which involves processing a tubular member whereby no connection points to join the edges of a flat pattern are necessary. The method includes the steps of a) removing contaminates from a tubular member, b) coating the outside surface of the tubular member with a photo-sensitive resist material, c) placing the tubular member in an apparatus designed to simultaneously rotate the tubular member while passing a specially configured photographic frame negative between a UV light source and the tubular member, thereby exposing a specified pattern of UV light to the resist coated tubular member, d) exposing the outside surface of the tubular member to a photoresist developer for a specified period of time, e) rinsing the excess developer and uncured resist from the outside surface of the tubular member, f) treating the tubular member with a electro-chemical process to remove uncovered metal. This process can lend itself to virtually an unlimited number of stent designs and configurations. By modifying the photographic frame negative, the same process can be employed to fabricate various stent designs from a tubular structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.