Patent ID: 8757219

Claim:
An apparatus for loading material into a stent strut, the apparatus comprising: a container carrying material; a stent disposed in the container, the stent comprising stent struts formed from a tube, the tube having a lumen, a first opening to the lumen, and at least one side opening to the lumen, the at least one side opening in contact with the material carried in the container; a suction pump connected to the first opening, the pump configured to suction gas out of the lumen from the first opening; a first sensor configured to detect whether the material is present in a first gas conduit connecting the suction pump and the first opening to the lumen; and a controller in communication with the suction pump and configured to stop or reduce suction applied to the lumen based at least on a signal from the first sensor indicating that the material is present in the first gas conduit.