Method and apparatus for thermal spray processing of medical devices

Abstract

The invention relates to devices for the treatment of heart disease and particularly to endo-arterial prostheses, which are commonly called stents. More particularly, the invention relates to methods of manufacturing and coating stents utilizing thermal spray processing (TSP). In one aspect the invention involves the use of TSP for the manufacture of fine grained tubing for subsequent use as a stent or other tubular or ring-based implant, or the manufacture of intermediate sized tubing that may then be drawn to final size tubing and for the coating of a stent. An average grain size of less than 64 microns is achieved by the invention resulting in a stent having an annular wall average thickness of about eight or more grains.

1 . A wire, comprising: 
 an elongated wire formed of grains and having a diameter of at least nine grains where the average diameter of the grains is less than  64  microns.    
     
     
         2 . The wire of  claim 1 , wherein the wire is processed to form a medical device taken from the group of devices including stents, guide wires, catheters, markers, and lead tips.  
     
     
         3 . A medical device processed from an elongated wire formed of grains and having a diameter of at least nine grains where the average diameter of the grains is less than 64 microns.  
     
     
         4 . The wire of  claim 3 , wherein the medical device is selected from the group of devices consisting of stents, guide wires, catheters, markers, and lead tips.