Patent ID: 8640643

Claim:
A system for loading a coating agent onto an implantable medical device, the system comprising: an implantable medical device having an outer device surface, a coating sleeve comprising a sleeve outer surface, a sleeve inner surface, and a sleeve wall disposed between the sleeve outer surface and the sleeve inner surface, the coating sleeve disposed over the outer device surface with the sleeve inner surface placed against the outer device surface, the coating sleeve defining fibril void spaces in the sleeve wall between the sleeve outer surface and the sleeve inner surface, the fibril void spaces adapted to receive an amount of a coating agent, wherein the amount of coating agent receivable by the fibril void spaces corresponds to fibril void volume defined by the fibril void spaces; and a clamp adapted for placement on the coating sleeve while the coating sleeve is disposed over the outer device surface with the sleeve inner surface placed against the outer device surface such that the clamp contacts the sleeve outer surface to mechanically manipulate the fibril void volume between the sleeve outer surface and the sleeve inner surface.