Patent ID: 8257777

Claim:
A method for coating a stent with a coating material comprising the steps of: a) applying a coating material including a drug onto the stent in such a manner that the coating material is on both an inner surface and an outer surface of the stent, the coating material adapted to become one of more and less soluble in a solvent upon exposure to radiation outside the solvent; b) irradiating a first portion of the coating material on the stent so as to render the first portion of the coating material on the stent one of more and less soluble in the solvent than a second portion; and c) exposing the coating material on at least the inner surface to the solvent so as to achieve one of: (i) removal of at least some of the irradiated first portion of the coating material and retaining the second portion of the coating material; and (ii) removal of at least some of the second portion of the coating material and retaining the irradiated first portion of the coating material.