Patent ID: 7306677

Claim:
A system for coating an implantable stent having an interior comprising: (a) a holding apparatus sized to fit within an implantable stent, wherein the holding apparatus comprises: (i) a center support shaft sized to fit within an interior of an implantable medical device; (ii) two arbors arranged on the center support shaft in a spaced apart position; (iii) a plurality of springs coupled to the two arbors, a first end of at least two of the springs coupled to a first arbor, a second end of at least two of the springs coupled to a second arbor; and (iv) an actuator coupled to the center support shaft and adapted to decrease the distance between the two arbors, the decrease of the distance causing a portion of each of the plurality of springs to buckle between the arbors, the buckling of each spring increasing at least one cross-sectional area defined by the holding apparatus, the at least one cross-sectional area being perpendicular to the center support shaft; (b) an implantable stent held from the interior by the holding apparatus; and (c) a coating apparatus for coating the stent while it is being held from the interior by the holding apparatus.