Stent coating apparatus using focused acoustic energy

Abstract

An apparatus for coating a stent includes an optical feedback system used to align a transducer with a stent strut. Once alignment is achieved, the transducer causes a coating to be ejected onto the stent strut and the transducer is moved along the stent strut to coat the stent strut.

1 . A stent coating apparatus, comprising:
 a transducer capable of ejecting droplets of a coating substance from a reservoir; and   an optical feedback system that aligns the transducer with a stent strut such that the coating substance is delivered to a stent strut.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical feedback system causes the movement of the transducer relative to the stent strut while the coating is being delivered. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical feedback system aligns the transducer with the stent strut via rotation and translation of the stent. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical feedback system aligns the transducer with the stent strut via rotation of the stent and translation of the transducer. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical feedback system verifies the coating on the stent strut and causes recoating of the stent strut if the coating is determined to be inadequate. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein energy from the transducer is focused on a fluid meniscus of the coating substance. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the optical feedback system is positioned to view the fluid meniscus and further capable of moving the transducer relative to the fluid meniscus to maintain focus on the fluid meniscus. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein energy from the transducer is focused at the interface of the coating substance and a second coating substance in the reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer is located within an ejector holding the coating substance. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer is external to a reservoir housing holding the reservoir. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer is external to a reservoir housing holding a plurality of coating substances in individual reservoir compartments.