Radioisotope stent with increased radiation field strength at the ends of the stent

摘要

Disclosed is a radioisotope stent that has increased radioactivity at the end regions of the stent as compared to the stent's central region. To minimize the neointimal hyperplasia that may exist to a greater extent at the ends of a stent that is implanted into an artery of a human body, the amount of radioactivity placed at or near the ends of the stent should be increased as compared to the amount of radioactivity over the remainder of the stent. It is an additional object of this invention to increase the radiation field at the end of a radioisotope stent by placing additional metal surfaces at the ends of the stent so as to have additional surfaces onto which a radioisotope can be placed.