Patent ID: 8595913
Filing Date: 2013-12-03
Classification: A61F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for crimping a stent to a balloon, comprising: i. elevating a temperature of the stent; ii. pre-crimping the stent including reducing a stent diameter to a first diameter while the stem is supported on a mandrel within a crimp head, wherein the stent has a first elevated temperature while the stent diameter is being reduced to the first diameter: iii. removing the stent and mandrel from the crimp head following the pre-crimping step and placing the stent on a balloon catheter to assemble a stent-catheter assembly, a balloon of the balloon catheter capable of being pressurized through a proximal end of an inflation lumen of the balloon catheter; iv. placing the stent-catheter assembly within the crimp head and increasing the stent temperature to a second elevated temperature, while the stent has the second elevated temperature, pressurizing the balloon via the inflation lumen while the stent-catheter assembly is within the crimp head, wherein the stent diameter expands to a second diameter that is up to about 25-30% greater than the first diameter when the balloon is pressurized; v. following step iv, pressing the stent into the balloon, the stent having a third elevated temperature, step v including reducing the stent diameter using the crimp head from the second diameter to about a final diameter while maintaining a balloon pressure including the step of reducing the stent diameter by about 25% to 40% from the second diameter while the balloon pressure is maintained; and vi. removing the stent-catheter assembly from the crimp head.