Patent ID: 8658081
Filing Date: 2014-02-25
Classification: A61F,A61L,B29C,B29K,B29L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of making a stent comprising: radially expanding a polymer tube to about 400% to 800% of a starting diameter of the tube to increase the radial stiffness of the tube, wherein the fracture toughness of the radially expanded tube is enhanced by heating the tube to a temperature such that the crystal nucleation rate is at least twice the crystal growth rate while the tube is being radially expanded; and forming a plurality of rings from the radially expanded tube, wherein a ring forms a plurality of cells, each of the cells being defined by opposed ends separated by a circumferential distance and opposed bending elements extending between and connecting the opposed ends, and wherein an adjacent pair of rings are interconnected by a linking element.