Patent ID: 11918497
Assignee: VACTRONIX SCIENTIFIC, LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method of making a stent, comprising the steps of:
a. Providing a stent hypotube;
a. Patterning a stent pattern in the stent hypotube to define the stent, the stent comprising a plurality of circumferential ring members having peaks and valleys, wherein the plurality of circumferential ring members is configured to nest with adjacent circumferential ring members when the stent is in a diametrically unexpanded state and a plurality of bridge members interconnecting adjacent pairs of circumferential ring members;
b. Forming a plurality of volume-enhancing features in or on an outer abluminal surface of the defined stent wherein the volume-enhancing features are configured to add between about 20% to about 80% more surface volume to the outer abluminal surface of the stent as compared to a stent surface without the plurality of volume-enhancing features;
c. Releasing the defined stent from the stent hypotube; and
d. Coating the outer abluminal surface of the defined stent with a drug-eluting coating and at least substantially filling the plurality of volume-enhancing features.