Vacuum chamber and apparatus for loading material into a stent strut

摘要

An apparatus for loading material into a stent strut can comprise a chamber capable of maintaining an internal pressure below pressure external to the chamber. The chamber carries within it the stent and the material to be loaded into a lumen within the stent strut. Pressure within the chamber is decreased. The decreased pressure can draw the material into lumen. The decreased pressure can draw air out of the lumen so that, after a subsequent increase in pressure in the chamber, the material is drawn into the lumen.

主权项

1. An apparatus for loading material into a stent strut, the apparatus comprising:
a vacuum chamber configured to carry the material; a stent support configured to carry a stent; a pump configured to reduce pressure inside the vacuum chamber; a temperature control device configured to alter temperature of the material carried by the vacuum chamber; a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of the material carried by the vacuum chamber; and a controller in communication with the temperature sensor and configured to activate the temperature control device based at least on input from the temperature sensor, wherein the controller is configured to prevent the material carried by the vacuum chamber from boiling by activating the temperature control device while pressure inside the vacuum chamber is being reduced by the pump.