Device viewable under an imaging beam

Abstract

The invention provides a stent made from a material operable to perform a stent's desired therapeutic functions, and also made from a material that has a radiopacity that substantially preserves the appearance of the stent when the stent is viewed under a CT imaging beam. Such a stent can allow for follow-up of the stent and the surrounding blood-vessel on CT.

1 . A stent, comprising:
 a material having structure to provide three-dimensional visualization of a surrounding tissue when said stent is inserted into said tissue and viewed under an imaging beam, said stent having:   a single coating layer selected from a group consisting of: a hydrophilic polymer, a hydrophobic polymer, and a fatty acid polymer, and   a density enhancing radiologic opacifier embedded into said single coating layer, said single coating layer and said embedded opacifier material together providing a first Hounsfield image density suitable for viewing under a first image modality used during device insertion into a patient,   wherein said density enhancing radiologic opacifier material is configured to elute from said single coating layer so as to provide a second Hounsfield image density suitable for viewing under a second image modality used for subsequent visualization of surrounding tissue, and   wherein said single coating layer includes a restenosis inhibiting drug.