Methods of making medical devices

Abstract

A method of making a stent includes providing a tubular member having a first layer, the first layer and the tubular member having different compositions, removing a portion of the tubular member, and removing a portion of the first layer from the tubular member.

1 - 61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . A method of making a stent, the method comprising:
 providing a member having a first layer, the first layer and the member having different compositions;   removing a portion of the member to define an opening through the member;   removing a portion of the first layer from the member; and   forming the member into the stent.   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the member has opposing edges, and the stent is formed by connecting the edges. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the stent is formed by forming the member into a tube. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the member is tubular. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the member and the first layer comprise metals. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 62 , further comprising finishing the member into the stent. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer is directly on the member. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer is on only a portion of the member. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer is on substantially an entire surface of the member. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein a portion of the first layer is removed with the portion of the member. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the member has a second layer, the first and second layers being on opposing surfaces of the member, and the method comprises removing a portion of the member and the first and second layers, and removing the first and second layers from the member. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 62 , further comprising forming the first layer on the member. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the stent comprises struts, and the removing of the portion of the member comprises forming the struts. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the portion of the member is removed by a laser. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer is removed by dissolving the first layer. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer is removed by melting the first layer. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer is removed by mechanically removing the first layer. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the member comprises a material selected from a group consisting of platinum, gold, palladium, rhenium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, nickel, cobalt, stainless steel, Nitinol, and alloys thereof. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the member comprises a material selected from a group consisting of platinum, gold, and tantalum. 
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of steel, cadmium, lead, magnesium, tin, zinc, and aluminum. 
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the first layer comprises a steel. 
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 62 , further comprising forming a drug-releasing layer on the stent. 
     
     
         84 . A stent, made according to the method of  claim 62 . 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the entire first layer is removed from the member. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein an entire surface portion of the first layer is removed from the member.