Patent ID: 8066763

Claim:
A vascular or endoluminal stent adapted to be implanted in a deployed state in a selected vessel, duct or tract or a human body to maintain an open lumen at the site of the implant, comprising an open-ended tubular structure having an innermost base layer of metal of composition and thickness for sufficient rigidity to resist collapse as the vessel, duct or tract wall exerts inward pressure during natural recoil when the stent is fully deployed at said site, said base layer constituting a tubular sidewall biologically compatible with the blood and tissue of the human body, an intermediate drug retaining layer comprising porous metal and at least one drug within its pores, the at least one drug adapted to be released from the pores after the stent is implanted, to assist the stent in maintaining said lumen open, and an outermost coating of material selected from a group consisting of iridium oxide and titanium nitrate to inhibit irritation to tissue at the inner lining of said vessel, duct or tract when the stent is implanted therein in contact with said inner lining, wherein the outermost coating has insufficient coverage to block the at least one drug from being released from the pores of the porous metal when the stent is implanted.