High visibility endoprosthesis and method

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A method for imaging a radially expandable endoprosthesis comprising a tubular scaffold implanted within a bodily lumen, wherein a substrate of the endoprosthesis has been modified below an abluminal surface of the scaffold by a laser to have gas-filled voids embedded within the substrate below the abluminal surface, the voids sized to increase scattering of optical radiation from within the substrate, the method comprising:
passing optical radiation across an external surface of the substrate of the endoprosthesis; and obtaining an image by optical coherence tomography (OCT) processing of light that has been scattered by the gas-filled voids from within the substrate below the abluminal surface modified by the laser, the obtained image includes an image signal corresponding to an interior substrate portion having the voids, wherein the image signal differentiates the interior substrate portion having the gas-filled voids from empty space outside of the substrate.