The invention provides a system (1) and method for manufacturing a stent. A spraying device (14) sprays a polymeric suspension (16) onto a mandrel (4). During spraying of the polymeric suspension (16) onto the mandrel (4), the mandrel (4) is manipulated by a micromanipulator (8) to produce a continuous coating on the mandrel (4) having a nonuniform thickness. The polymeric coating is allowed to cure on the mandrel (4) to form the stent, which is then removed from the mandrel (4). The method can comprise embedding a filament (2) in the polymeric coating and incorporating one or more drugs in the stent.

A bioresorbable, implantable device having controlled drug delivery is disclosed herein. The bioresorbable, implantable device is configured as a film, a roll, a tube, and a stent. The bioresorbable, implantable device is configured to release an active ingredient (the “drug”) from the bioresorbable, implantable device when the bioresorbable, implantable device is implanted within a body. The bioresorbable, implantable device is configured to control the onset of the release of the drug, the sequence of drug delivery, and the duration of drug delivery by embedding the drug within at least one therapeutic layer positioned within bioresorbable, implantable device.

Disclosed is an injection molding method for a degradable intravascular stent with a flexible mold core structure. The injection molding method includes the following steps: Step 1, winding a metal rod with a flexible metal film, and applying an inward bending stress to the flexible metal film; Step 2, fixing the flexible metal film to the metal rod, and processing a complementary structure of the degradable intravascular stent on the surface of the flexible metal film; Step 3, performing injection molding processing: Step 4, ending the injection molding, removing the mating body of the flexible metal film and the metal rod and the degradable intravascular stent formed on the surface of the flexible metal film by injection molding, performing cooling, separating the metal rod from the flexible metal film, withdrawing the metal rod, and then removing the flexible metal film to obtain a formed degradable intravascular stent.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, is carried out by (a) providing a carrier and a build plate, the build plate comprising a semipermeable member, the semipermeable member comprising a build surface with the build surface and the carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with the build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid contacting the build surface, (c) irradiating the build region through the build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in the build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of the polymerizable liquid formed between the solid polymerized region and the build surface, wherein the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by the polymerization inhibitor; and (d) advancing the carrier with the polymerized region adhered thereto away from the build surface on the build plate to create a subsequent build region between the polymerized region and the build surface while concurrently filling the subsequent build region with polymerizable liquid as in step (b). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

A multi-element, bioresorbable, vascular stent may be used to maintain or enhance patency of a blood vessel. The stent may be used in peripheral blood vessels, which may be long and/or tortuous. By using multiple, separate stent elements that are balloon expandable, the multi-element stent may be stronger than a traditional self-expanding stent but may also be more flexible, due to its multiple-element configuration, than a traditional balloon-expandable stent. Thus, the multi-element, bioresorbable, vascular stent described herein may be particularly advantageous for treating long lesions in tortuous peripheral blood vessels.

A system and method for multi-modality fusion for 3D printing of a patient-specific organ model is disclosed. A plurality of medical images of a target organ of a patient from different medical imaging modalities are fused. A holistic mesh model of the target organ is generated by segmenting the target organ in the fused medical images from the different medical imaging modalities. One or more spatially varying physiological parameter is estimated from the fused medical images and the estimated one or more spatially varying physiological parameter is mapped to the holistic mesh model of the target organ. The holistic mesh model of the target organ is 3D printed including a representation of the estimated one or more spatially varying physiological parameter mapped to the holistic mesh model. The estimated one or more spatially varying physiological parameter can be represented in the 3D printed model using a spatially material property (e.g., stiffness), spatially varying material colors, and/or spatially varying material texture.

A catheter includes: a catheter shaft; and a hub on a proximal side of the catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes a shaft inner surface inclined portion at a proximal portion, the diameter of which increases proximally such that the shaft inner surface inclined portion forms an angle with the catheter central axis. The hub includes a first hub inner surface inclined portion continuous from the shaft inner surface inclined portion and inclined at the same inclination angle as the shaft inner surface inclined portion, and a second hub inner surface inclined portion proximal of the first hub inner surface inclined portion. The second hub inner surface inclined portion inclination angle differs from the first hub inner surface inclined portion inclination angle. The hub does not cover an inner peripheral surface of the catheter shaft in an interlock portion in which the catheter shaft and the hub are interlocked together.

A tapered implantable device includes an ePTFE tubular member having a tapered length portion. The tapered length portion provides rapid recovery properties. The tapered length portion can feature a microstructure that includes a multiplicity of bent fibrils.

A polymeric stent has an inner surface with an inner diameter that tapers continuously in size. A method for manufacturing a stent includes blow molding a polymeric tube within a mold having a tapered, cylindrical cavity such that the polymeric tube attains a corresponding tapered shape. The tapered tube is used as a substrate from which a laser cuts interconnecting stent struts.

Methods for preparing oriented polymer tubes, such as biodegradable polymer tubes suitable for in vivo use, are provided herein. The disclosed methods provide alternatives to the typical extrusion/expansion methods by which oriented polymeric tubes for such uses are commonly produced. Advantageously, the disclosed methods can provide more homogeneous molecular orientation of crystallizable polymers within the tube walls, which can endow such polymeric tubes with enhanced strength (e.g., resistance to compression) and toughness.