CUSTOMIZING THE ELUTION PROFILE OF A STENT

摘要

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for customizing an elution profile of a stent after manufacture of the stent has been completed. The stent includes a plurality of side ports for eluting a drug formulation within a lumenal space of a hollow strut that forms the stent. An effective diameter of at least one side port of the plurality of side ports of the stent is modified in order to customize an elution profile of the stent. In an embodiment hereof, the plurality of side ports are completely blocked or plugged with a filler material during the manufacture of the stent and at least a portion of the filler material is removed to increase an effective diameter of at least one side port of the plurality of side ports of the stent in order to customize an elution profile of the stent. In another embodiment hereof, the plurality of side ports are open following the manufacture of the stent and at least one side port of the plurality of side ports of the stent is at least partially filled with a filler material to decrease the effective diameter of the at least one side port in order to customize an elution profile of the stent. In another embodiment hereof, the stent is soaked within a liquid to remove at least a portion of the drug formulation from the lumenal space of the hollow strut to thereby customize an elution profile of the stent.