Method for manufacturing a medical device having a coated portion by laser ablation

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a medical device having a coated portion which comprises obtaining a structure having an inner surface and an outer surface; coating at least a portion of the inner or outer surface with a first coating material; and ablating the coated tubular structure with a laser to form at least one opening therein to form the coated portion. A plate can be used instead of the structure, and the plate is folded to form the structure after the ablation. A plurality of medical devices, made of any materials and having uniform coating(s), can be easily manufactured by the method of the present invention.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing a coated medical device having a coated portion which comprises the steps of: 
 (a) obtaining a structure having an inner surface and an outer surface;    (b) coating at least a portion of the inner or outer surface with a first coating material; and    (c) ablating the coated structure with an ultrashort-pulse laser to form at least one opening therein to form the coated portion of the medical device.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the structure is a tubular structure.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medical device is a stent.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises only coating the inner surface of the structure with the first coating material.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises only coating the outer surface of the structure with the first coating material.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises: 
 (i) coating the inner surface of the structure with the first coating material and    (ii) coating the outer surface of the structure with a second coating material.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first coating material and the second coating material are the same.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by dipping the surface into the coating composition.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by spray-coating the coating composition onto the surface.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first coating material comprises a polymer and a biologically active material.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first coating material comprises a biologically active material, and the coating step (b) is conducted by immobilizing the first coating material onto at least of a portion of the surface.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coated structure is ablated to form a plurality of openings therein that define a plurality of struts.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , which further comprises cutting the coated structure into sections to form more than one coated portion.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the cutting step is conducted between coating step and the ablating step.  
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing a coated medical device having a coated portion which comprises the steps of: 
 (a) obtaining a plate having a first surface and a second surface;    (b) coating at least a portion of the first surface or second surface which a first coating material;    (c) ablating the coated plate with an ulrashort-pulse laser to form at least one opening therein; and    (d) forming the coated portion with the ablated plate.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the coated portion is a tube-like portion.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the medical device is a stent.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein step (b) comprises only coating the first surface of the plate with the first coating material.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein step (b) comprises only coating the second surface of the plate with the first coating material.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein step (b) comprises: 
 (i) coating the first surface of the plate with the first coating material and    (ii) coating the second surface of the plate with a second coating material.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first coating material and the second coating material are the same.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by dipping the surface into the coating composition.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first coating material is a coating composition and the surface is coated by spray-coating the coating composition onto the surface.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first coating material comprises a biologically active material, and coating is conducted by immobilizing the first coating material onto at least of a portion of the surface.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first coating material comprises a polymer and a biologically active material.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the coated plate is ablated to form a plurality of openings therein that define a plurality of struts.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , which further comprises cutting the coated plate into sections to form more than one coated tube-like portion.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the cutting step is conducted between the coating step and the ablating step.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the coated plate is cut as it is ablated.