Degradable implantable medical devices

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for an implantable medical device which is degradable over a clinically relevant period of time. The medical devices may have the form of implants, graft implants, vascular implants, non vascular implants, wound closure implants, sutures, drug delivery implants, biologic delivery implants, urinary tract implants, inter-uterine implants, organ implants, bone implants including bone plates, bone screws, dental implants, spinal disks, or the like. In preferred embodiments, the implantable medical device comprises an implantable luminal prosthesis, such as vascular and non-vascular stents and stents grafts.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A degradable, implantable structure comprising: an implantable body having at least one surface; and at least one corrosion inducing feature on the at least one surface which causes at least a portion of the body to degrade at a rate greater than the rate without the feature in a physiologic environment.