High visibility endoprosthesis and method

Abstract

An endoprosthesis, a method for imaging an endoprosthesis, a method of making an endoprosthesis involve a polymeric substrate that has been modified to have voids embedded within the substrate. The voids are sized to scatter optical radiation from within the substrate so that an optical coherence tomography (OCT) image can be obtained in which an interior region of the substrate can be easily differentiated from empty space and other structures that surround the endoprosthesis. The voids allow for OCT visualization of the polymeric substrate which may be difficult to visualize by other methods such as fluoroscopy.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An endoprosthesis comprising:
 a plurality of radially deformable rings,   wherein each ring comprises a polymeric substrate, a plurality of voids is embedded within at least a portion of the substrate, and the voids are sized to scatter optical radiation that has passed across an external surface of the substrate to produce an optical coherence tomography (OCT) image that distinguishes an interior region of the substrate from empty space outside of the substrate.   
     
     
         16 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein the voids do not open to any external surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         17 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein the voids are present within the substrate before the rings have been radially deformed. 
     
     
         18 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate has an abluminal surface and a luminal surface, the voids have a spatial density as viewed in a cross-section of the substrate, and the spatial density is either greater in an area adjacent the abluminal surface as compared to an area adjacent the luminal surface or greater in the area adjacent the luminal surface as compared to the area adjacent the abluminal surface. 
     
     
         19 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein in a cross-section of the substrate, the voids are distributed entirely across a width of the cross-section, and the width is a total distance between opposite side surfaces that connect abluminal and luminal surfaces of the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein the voids are distributed within the substrate such that opposite end segments of the endoprosthesis can be distinguished from a middle segment of the endoprosthesis based on OCT image signals from within the substrate. 
     
     
         21 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein the voids are present within the substrate before the rings have been radially deformed. 
     
     
         22 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate has an abluminal surface and a luminal surface, the voids have a spatial density as viewed in a cross-section of the substrate, and the spatial density is either greater in an area adjacent the abluminal surface as compared to an area adjacent the luminal surface or greater in the area adjacent the luminal surface as compared to the area adjacent the abluminal surface. 
     
     
         23 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate has an abluminal surface and a luminal surface, the voids have a spatial density as viewed in a cross-section of the substrate, and the spatial density is either greater in an area adjacent the abluminal surface as compared to an area adjacent the luminal surface or greater in the area adjacent the luminal surface as compared to the area adjacent the abluminal surface. 
     
     
         24 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein in a cross-section of the substrate, the voids are distributed entirely across a width of the cross-section, and the width is a total distance between opposite side surfaces that connect abluminal and luminal surfaces of the substrate. 
     
     
         25 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 17 , wherein in a cross-section of the substrate, the voids are distributed entirely across a width of the cross-section, and the width is a total distance between opposite side surfaces that connect abluminal and luminal surfaces of the substrate. 
     
     
         26 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 18 , wherein in a cross-section of the substrate, the voids are distributed entirely across a width of the cross-section, and the width is a total distance between opposite side surfaces that connect abluminal and luminal surfaces of the substrate. 
     
     
         27 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein the voids are distributed within the substrate such that opposite end segments of the endoprosthesis can be distinguished from a middle segment of the endoprosthesis based on OCT image signals from within the substrate. 
     
     
         28 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 17 , wherein the voids are distributed within the substrate such that opposite end segments of the endoprosthesis can be distinguished from a middle segment of the endoprosthesis based on OCT image signals from within the substrate. 
     
     
         29 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 18 , wherein the voids are distributed within the substrate such that opposite end segments of the endoprosthesis can be distinguished from a middle segment of the endoprosthesis based on OCT image signals from within the substrate. 
     
     
         30 . The endoprosthesis of  claim 19 , wherein the voids are distributed within the substrate such that opposite end segments of the endoprosthesis can be distinguished from a middle segment of the endoprosthesis based on OCT image signals from within the substrate.