Patent ID: 7897195

Claim:
A device for coating a stent comprising: a spray nozzle disposed within a spray zone of a device; a first support for supporting a first stent and a second support for supporting a second stent, the first support and the second support being coupled to a member capable of positioning one of the supports in the spray zone below the spray nozzle to receive coating material from the spray nozzle and the other support in a drying zone, wherein the spray nozzle is movable with respect to the support in the spray zone while the stent in the drying zone is drying, the spray nozzle being movable so that the support does not receive coating material; a lower funnel in communication with a vacuum, the lower funnel disposed below the first support in the spray zone so that, when the spray nozzle moves over the first support in the spray zone, oversprayed coating material from the spray nozzle is removed through the lower funnel; and an upper funnel disposed above the lower funnel and positioned relative to the first support in the spray zone such that the spray nozzle can move from a position above the first support to a position above the upper funnel, while continuing to dispense the coating material, to prevent further deposition of the coating material from the spray nozzle onto the first stent.