METHOD OF INCORPORATING CARBON NANOTUBES IN A MEDICAL APPLIANCE A CARBON NANOTUBE MEDICAL APPLIANCE,AND A MEDICAL APPLIANCE COATED USING CARBON NANOTUBE TECHNOLOGY

摘要

A method of coating a medical device, such as a stent or balloon. The method comprises assembling an array of vertically-oriented carbon nanotubes on a surface of the medical device and contacting the array of carbon nanotubes with a liquid. The liquid is evaporated to form a cellular foam made of carbon nanotubes. The liquid may contain a bioactive agent. Also described are medical devices having a coating of cellular foam that is made of carbon nanotubes.