Method and apparatus for loading a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device

Abstract

The present invention relates to method and apparatus for dispensing a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device. The method includes the step of placing an expandable medical device on a mandrel, the medical device forming a cylindrical device having a plurality of openings and dispensing a beneficial agent into the plurality of openings.

1 - 76 . (canceled)  
     
     
         77 . A method for controlling filling of a medical device with a beneficial agent, the method comprising: 
 providing a central processing unit connected to a dispensing device and a movable mandrel;    inputting medical device specifications to the central processing unit including the location and size of openings in the medical device to be filled, lot number, mandrel number, and beneficial agent to be dispensed; and    controlling motion of the mandrel and the dispensing device with the central processing unit to dispense the beneficial agent into the openings of the medical device as determined by the location and size of the openings.    
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 77 , further comprising inputting a number of layers of beneficial agent and a drying time for each layer to the central processing unit and dispensing the input number of layers sequentially and waiting for the drying time.  
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the medical device is a stent and the stent is crimped onto the mandrel.  
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 79 , wherein a plurality of stents are crimped onto the mandrel and a number of stents on the mandrel is input to the central processing unit.  
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein mandrel has a bar code which is scanned to retrieve the medical device specifications from the central processing unit.  
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the dispensing of the beneficial agent into the openings is confirmed by an observation system.  
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the beneficial agent is dispensed into the openings by the dispensing device at between about 8 to 20 drops per hole.  
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the beneficial agent dispensed includes multiple layers of a first beneficial agent and multiple layers of a second beneficial agent.  
     
     
         85 . A central processing unit for controlling filling of stents comprising: 
 means for inputting and storing stent specifications including the location and size of openings in the stents;    means for controlling a dispensing device based on the input stent specifications; and    means for controlling a movable mandrel based on the input stent specifications.    
     
     
         86 . The central processing united of  claim 85 , wherein the stent specifications include mandrel number, number of stents on the mandrel, lot number, and beneficial agent to be dispensed into the stents  
     
     
         87 . The central processing unit of  claim 85 , wherein the stent specifications include the number of layers to be formed in the stent openings.  
     
     
         88 . The central processing unit of  claim 87 , wherein the stent specifications include the drying times between layers formed in the stent openings.  
     
     
         89 . The central processing unit of  claim 85 , further comprising means for controlling an observation system to verify that the dispensing device has dispensed the beneficial agent in the openings.  
     
     
         90 . The central processing unit of  claim 85 , wherein the stent specifications include a stent design code and date information.