Treated medical implant

Abstract

A treated medical device is provided. This medical device may be a stent and may have been treated by placing it into a treatment chamber, creating a buffer zone of compressible fluid between the medical implant and the inside surface of the treatment chamber, and applying a treatment to the medical implant when the medical implant is at least partially positioned within the treatment chamber. When the treatment is applied to the medical implant this may include forcing therapeutic out of an injection nozzle and towards the medical device. In some instances the buffer zone of compressible fluid may cause the medical implant to rotate about a longitudinal axis in a first direction when the medical implant is at least partially positioned within the treatment chamber.

1 . A medical implant that has been treated by a method comprising: 
 placing the medical implant into a treatment chamber having an inside surface, the inside surface defining the treatment chamber;    creating a buffer zone of compressible fluid between the medical implant and the inside surface of the treatment chamber when the medical implant is at least partially positioned within the treatment chamber; and    applying a treatment to the medical implant when the medical implant is at least partially positioned within the treatment chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein applying the treatment to the medical implant includes forcing therapeutic out of an injection nozzle and towards the medical device.  
   
   
       3 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the treatment is a therapeutic.  
   
   
       4 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the buffer zone of compressible fluid causes the medical implant to rotate about a longitudinal axis in a first direction when the medical implant is at least partially positioned within the treatment chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The medical implant of  claim 4  wherein the buffer zone of compressible fluid causes the medical implant to rotate in a second direction after rotating in the first direction, the second direction opposite to the first direction.  
   
   
       6 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the method of treating the implant further comprises: 
 heating the medical implant after it has been treated.    
   
   
       7 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the treatment chamber that the medical implant is placed into includes a set of fluid passages to circulate compressible fluid within the treatment chamber.  
   
   
       8 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the medical implant comprises an expandable lattice.  
   
   
       9 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the method of treating the implant further comprises: 
 moving the medical implant from a first position within the treatment chamber to a second position within the treatment chamber.    
   
   
       10 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the buffer zone of compressible fluid prevents contact between the medical implant and the treatment chamber when the medical implant is positioned within the treatment chamber.  
   
   
       11 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein another medical device is already positioned within the treatment chamber when the medical implant is positioned within the treatment chamber.  
   
   
       12 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the method of treating the implant further comprises: 
 discarding the treatment chamber after the medical device is removed from the treatment chamber.    
   
   
       13 . The medical implant of  claim 1  wherein the treatment chamber that the medical device is positioned within defines a cylinder.