Method of fabricating an implantable medical device by controlling crystalline structure

摘要

A method of fabricating an implantable medical device that includes deforming and heating setting a polymer construct, for use in fabricating the device, in a temperature range in which the crystal nucleation rate is greater than the crystal growth rate is disclosed.

主权项

1. A method for fabricating an implantable medical device, the method comprising:
radially expanding a polymer tube by applying stress while maintaining the polymer tube at a temperature range of from Tg to 0.6(Tm−Tg)+Tg; maintaining the expanded polymer tube in the expanded state at a temperature range of from Tg to 0.9(Tm−Tg)+Tg for a sufficient period of time to heat set the polymer tube; and fabricating the implantable medical device which is a stent from the heat set polymer tube, wherein the fabricating comprises forming a pattern in the heat set polymer tube by cutting which forms a scaffolding including interconnecting structural elements.