Patent ID: 7588642

Claim:
A stent coating apparatus, comprising: a stent support configured for supporting a stent, the stent having ends and an interior, the stent support comprising: a first support member; a second support member; and a third member extending between the first and second support members; wherein the first and second support members are configured to support the stent at only the stents ends; and wherein the third support member is configured to extend through the interior of the stent and is configured to support the stent at only the ends of the stent; a brush assembly on a brush assembly support; a dispensing mechanism in fluid communication with the brush assembly to dispense a coating onto the brush assembly; and an optical feedback system that is configured and arranged to effect alignment between the brush assembly and a stent strut, via relative movement between the stent support and the brush assembly support, such that the brush assembly coats the stent strut with the dispensed coating.