Systems and methods for heating and cooling during stent crimping

摘要

Methods of heating and cooling during a crimping process are disclosed. One method includes providing a cooling source to cool the stent and/or drug eluting coating of the stent while crimping the stent onto the balloon, and providing a heating source to heat the balloon while crimping the stent onto the balloon. Another method includes introducing a cooling fluid through a passage in one or more of the plurality of crimping elements of the crimping apparatus to cool the crimping elements while crimping the stent onto the balloon, and introducing a heating fluid through the elongate shaft of the balloon catheter to heat the balloon while crimping the stent onto the balloon.