Compliant biocompatible device and method of manufacture

Abstract

As detailed herein, a biocompatible apparatus comprises a porous material comprising ceramic nanotubes bound together with a filler material. The proportion of the filler material may be selected to provide porosity for the porous material that is biocompatible, and the porous material may be shaped to provide a compliant biomedical device. In one embodiment, the compliant biomedical device is a stent such as intravascular stent. A method for fabricating a biocompatible device is also described herein. The method may include growing ceramic nanotubes on a substrate, infiltrating the ceramic nanotubes with a filler material to provide a porous material having a porosity that is biocompatible, and removing the porous material from the substrate to provide a biocompatible ceramic device. The method may also include coating the biocompatible ceramic device with a drug-eluting material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A biocompatible apparatus comprising:
 a porous material comprising a plurality of ceramic nanotubes bound together with a filler material;   wherein a proportion for the filler material is selected to provide a porosity for the porous material that is biocompatible; and   wherein the porous material is shaped to provide a compliant biomedical device.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compliant biomedical device is a stent. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the stent is an intravascular stent 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the stent is compressible for vascular insertion. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein a compressed diameter for the stent is less than half of an uncompressed diameter for the stent. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the stent is coated with a drug-eluting material. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic nanotubes and the filler material are biocompatible. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic nanotubes and the filler material are carbon. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the porosity for the porous material is biocompatible with vascular tissue. 
     
     
         10 . A method for fabricating a biocompatible device, the comprising:
 growing a plurality of ceramic nanotubes on a substrate;   infiltrating the plurality of ceramic nanotubes with a filler material until a selected porosity is achieved to provide a porous material having a porosity that is biocompatible;   removing the porous material from the substrate to provide a biocompatible ceramic device;   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the substrate is a patterned substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a pattern for the patterned substrate is selected to provide a compliant device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the substrate comprises a patterned layer of receptor material for growing the plurality of ceramic nanotubes. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of ceramic nanotubes are grown substantially perpendicular to the substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the biocompatible ceramic device is a stent. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the stent is a compressible intravascular stent. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising coating the biocompatible ceramic device with a drug-eluting material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the ceramic nanotubes and the filler material are biocompatible. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the ceramic nanotubes and the filler material comprise carbon. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the porosity is biocompatible with vascular tissue.