Patent ID: 8377533

Claim:
A bioabsorbable stent comprising a stent scaffolding comprising: an abluminal layer, a luminal layer, and optionally one or more middle layers, each layer comprising a glassy degradable polymer of the same chemical composition, wherein the abluminal layer is an outermost radial layer of the stent scaffolding with an outer surface contacting a vessel wall upon implantation, wherein the luminal layer is an innermost radial layer of the stent scaffolding with an inner surface contacting an inner lumen of the vessel upon implantation, wherein the molecular weight of the polymer of the luminal layer is higher than the molecular weight of the polymer of the abluminal layer, and wherein the molecular weight of the polymer of the layers decreases between each of the layers from the luminal layer to the abluminal layer so that the degradation rate of the layers increases between each of the layers from the luminal layer to the abluminal layer.