Patent ID: 7785512

Claim:
A method of making a composition for use in manufacturing an implantable medical device, comprising: introducing a polymer into a first segment of an extruder of a mixing apparatus allowing the polymer to flow out of an outlet of the extruder; introducing an active agent into a second segment of the extruder, the second segment located between the first segment and the outlet; removing impurities from the polymer while the polymer is in the apparatus; mixing the active agent with the polymer in the apparatus to form a polymer mixture; preventing degradation of at least some of the active agent, including controlling a temperature of the polymer mixture in at least a portion of the apparatus, wherein controlling the temperature is performed at least by either one or both of: (1) cooling a solvent, without the active agent, to a temperature below an ambient room temperature followed by introducing the cooled solvent, without the active agent, into the extruder, and (2) cooling a mixture of the solvent and the active agent to a temperature below an ambient room temperature followed by introducing the cooled mixture of the solvent and the active agent into the extruder; and removing the polymer mixture from the apparatus, wherein the polymer mixture is for use as a coating for an implantable medical device, or fabricating an implantable medical device.