Scaffold having a shaped strut and methods for shaping scaffold struts

Abstract

A scaffold strut is shaped to improve hemocompatibility. After laser cutting, the scaffold is placed on a work piece and its struts are shaped by flame polishing or brushing. The abluminal surfaces and luminal surfaces can have corners rounded. The strut can have a sloped surface on its luminal side without reducing strut thickness needed for strength.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising: a balloon catheter including a balloon located at a distal end and a distal tip; and a polymer scaffold crimped to the balloon, the scaffold having a pattern of shaped struts, wherein a shaped strut has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a luminal surface facing a surface of the balloon and an abluminal surface facing away from the balloon surface; wherein the shaped strut is, in respect to a cross-section of the strut, asymmetric about each of two orthogonal axes passing through a centroid of the strut cross-section; and wherein the shaped strut further includes a linear or non-linear taper from the leading to the trailing edge thereof such that a strut thickness at the trailing edge is less than the strut thickness at the leading edge; and wherein the shaped strut leading edge is located a first distance from the distal tip, the shaped strut trailing edge is located a second distance from the distal tip, and the first distance is greater than the second distance.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the strut thickness at the trailing edge is between about 20% and 60% of the strut thickness at the leading edge.

3. The medical device of claim 2, wherein the shaped struts have an aspect ratio (AR) of strut width to strut thickness between 1 and 4.

4. The medical device of claim 3, wherein a maximum thickness of the strut is between 80 microns and 120 microns.

5. The medical device of claim 4, wherein the scaffold is substantially or completely made from a blend of polylactide (PLA) and a PLA and polycaprolactone (PCL) random copolymer (e.g., 5-30% PCL) and the blended PLA-PCL combination has between about 1% to 8% by weight PCL.

6. The medical device of claim 4, wherein the scaffold is substantially or completely made from poly(L-lactide) PLLA.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the scaffold is orientated on the balloon so that the shaped strut leading edge is upstream of the shaped strut trailing edge when the scaffold is being implanted at a treatment site.

8. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the shaped strut comprises a radius of curvature for a corner of the luminal surface and a corner of the abluminal surface, and wherein the radius of curvature at the luminal surface corner is about 3 times higher than the radius of curvature at the abluminal surface corner.

9. A medical device, comprising: a balloon catheter including a balloon, a distal end and a distal tip; and a scaffold crimped to the balloon, wherein the scaffold is made from a tube and the tube is substantially or completely made from a blend of polylactide (PLA) and a PLA and polycaprolactone (PCL) random copolymer (e.g., 5-30% PCL) and the blended PLA-PCL combination has between about 1% to 8% by weight PCL; the scaffold including a shaped strut, wherein the shaped strut has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a luminal surface facing a surface of the balloon and an abluminal surface facing away from the balloon surface; wherein a cross-section of the shaped strut is asymmetric about each of two orthogonal axes passing through a centroid of the strut cross-section, such that a strut thickness at the trailing edge is between 30% and 80% of the strut thickness at the leading edge; wherein the shaped strut leading edge is located a first distance from the distal tip, the shaped strut trailing edge is located a second distance from the distal tip, and the first distance is greater than the second distance.

10. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the tube from which the scaffold was made has a wall thickness, and wherein the strut thickness at the leading edge is between 70% to 95% of the wall thickness.

11. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the tube from which the scaffold was made has a wall thickness, and wherein the strut thickness at the trailing edge is between 30% and 60% of the wall thickness.

12. The medical device of claim 9, wherein a corner of the trailing edge located on the luminal surface of the shaped strut has a higher slope than a corner of the leading edge located on the abluminal surface of the shaped strut.

13. A medical device, comprising: a balloon catheter including a balloon, a distal end and a distal tip; and a scaffold crimped to the balloon, wherein the scaffold is made from a tube having a wall thickness, and the tube is substantially or completely made from a blend of polylactide (PLA) and a PLA and polycaprolactone (PCL) random copolymer (e.g., 5-30% PCL) and the blended PLA-PCL combination has between about 1% to 8% by weight PCL; and the scaffold further comprising ring elements formed by struts connected at strut junctions, the struts including shaped struts located at the strut junctions, wherein a shaped strut comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, a luminal surface facing a surface of the balloon and an abluminal surface facing away from the balloon surface, the shaped strut further comprising: a cross-section asymmetric about each of two orthogonal axes passing through a centroid of the cross-section, a leading edge thickness between 70% to 95% of the wall thickness, a trailing edge thickness between 30% and 60% of the wall thickness, a radius of curvature for a corner of a luminal surface is about 4 times higher than a radius of curvature for a corner of an abluminal surface; and wherein the shaped strut leading edge is located a first distance from the distal tip, the shaped strut trailing edge is located a second distance from the distal tip, and the first diameter is greater than the second distance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a prior art scaffold. The scaffold is shown in a crimped state (balloon not shown).

(2) FIG. 2 shows fluid streamlines adjacent a square-cross-section of a scaffold strut. The streamlines show zones of fluid recirculation upstream and downstream of the strut.

(3) FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of a thin strut of scaffold based on an explant of an implanted scaffold from a porcine model.

(4) FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a thick strut of scaffold based on an explant of an implanted scaffold from a porcine model.

(5) FIG. 4 compares the Adherent Thrombus area of the thin verses thick struts depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

(6) FIG. 5 describes using computational fluid dynamics to model fluid flow immediately upstream and downstream of the thin and thick struts for a scaffold.

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a scaffold ring that includes a crown and strut.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the strut from FIG. 6, taken at section 7-7.

(9) FIG. 8A shows a first type of shaped scaffold strut.

(10) FIG. 8B shows a second type of shaped scaffold strut.

(11) FIG. 8C shows a third type of shaped scaffold strut.

(12) FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an apparatus for making one or more of the shaped struts of FIGS. 8A-8C using a torch.

(13) FIG. 10A is a close-up view of a process for making a shaped strut by passing a flame of the torch over the external surface of the scaffold.

(14) FIG. 10B is a close-up view of a process for making a shaped strut by passing a flame of the torch through the bore of the scaffold.

(15) FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of a scaffold while a brush is being pulled or pushed through the scaffold bore. The brush is being used to make one or more of the shaped struts of FIGS. 8A-8C.

(16) FIG. 12A is a close-up view showing the brush of FIG. 11 being pulled or pushed over the surfaces of scaffold struts.

(17) FIG. 12B is a close-up view showing the shaped struts of FIG. 8C produced by the brushing method in FIG. 12A.

(18) FIG. 13 is a partial side-cross-sectional view of a medical device distal end showing a scaffold crimped to a balloon of a balloon catheter. The scaffold struts have the shaped struts of FIG. 8C. The direction of blood flow (from a proximal to distal end of the catheter) when the scaffold is being implanted is indicated by V.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(19) In the description like reference numbers appearing in the drawings and description designate corresponding or like elements among the different views.

(20) For purposes of this disclosure, the following terms and definitions apply:

(21) The terms about or approximately mean 30%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1.5%, 1%, between 1-2%, 1-3%, 1-5%, or 0.5%-5% less or more than, less than, or more than a stated value, a range or each endpoint of a stated range, or a one-sigma, two-sigma, three-sigma variation from a stated mean or expected value (Gaussian distribution). For example, d1 about d2 means d1 is 30%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1.5%, 1%, 0% or between 1-2%, 1-3%, 1-5%, or 0.5%-5% different from d2. If d1 is a mean value, then d2 is about d1 means d2 is within a one-sigma, two-sigma, or three-sigma variance from d1.

(22) It is understood that any numerical value, range, or either range endpoint (including, e.g., approximately none, about none, about all, etc.) preceded by the word about, substantially or approximately in this disclosure also describes or discloses the same numerical value, range, or either range endpoint not preceded by the word about, substantially or approximately.

(23) A stent means a permanent, durable or non-degrading structure, usually comprised of a non-degrading metal or metal alloy structure, generally speaking, while a scaffold means a temporary structure comprising a bioresorbable, biodegradable, or bioerodable polymer, metal or combination thereof and capable of radially supporting a vessel for a limited period of time, e.g., 3, 6 or 12 months following implantation. It is understood, however, that the art sometimes uses the term stent when referring to either type of structure.

(24) Inflated diameter or expanded diameter refers to the inner diameter the scaffold attains when its supporting balloon is inflated to expand the scaffold from its crimped configuration to implant the scaffold within a vessel. The inflated diameter may refer to a post-dilation balloon diameter which is beyond the nominal balloon diameter, e.g., a 6.5 mm balloon (i.e., a balloon having a 6.5 mm nominal diameter when inflated to a nominal balloon pressure such as 6 times atmospheric pressure) has about a 7.4 mm post-dilation diameter, or a 6.0 mm balloon has about a 6.5 mm post-dilation diameter. The nominal to post dilation ratios for a balloon may range from 1.05 to 1.7 (i.e., a post-dilation diameter may be 5% to 70% greater than a nominal inflated balloon diameter). The scaffold diameter, after attaining an inflated diameter by balloon pressure, will to some degree decrease in diameter due to recoil effects related primarily to, any or all of, the manner in which the scaffold was fabricated and processed, the scaffold material and the scaffold design.

(25) Post-dilation diameter (PDD) of a scaffold refers to the inner diameter of the scaffold after being increased to its expanded diameter and the balloon removed from the patient's vasculature. The PDD accounts for the effects of recoil. For example, an acute PDD refers to the inner scaffold diameter that accounts for an acute recoil in the scaffold.

(26) A pre-crimp diameter means an outer diameter (OD) of a tube from which the scaffold was made (e.g., the scaffold is cut from a dip coated, injection molded, extruded, radially expanded, die drawn, and/or annealed tube) or the scaffold before it is crimped to a balloon. Similarly, a crimped diameter means the OD of the scaffold when crimped to a balloon. The pre-crimp diameter can be about 2 to 2.5, 2 to 2.3, 2.3, 2, 2.5, 3.0 times greater than the crimped diameter and about 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.3 and about 1-1.5 times higher than an expanded diameter, the nominal balloon diameter, or post-dilation diameter. Crimping, for purposes of this disclosure, means a diameter reduction of a scaffold characterized by a significant plastic deformation, i.e., more than 10%, or more than 50% of the diameter reduction is attributed to plastic deformation, such as at a crown in the case of a stent or scaffold that has an undulating ring pattern, e.g., FIG. 1. When the scaffold is deployed or expanded by the balloon, the inflated balloon plastically deforms the scaffold from its crimped diameter. Methods for crimping scaffolds made according to the disclosure are described in US20130255853.

(27) A centroid is a center of area of a body in cross-section. It is analogous to a center of mass for a body, except that it refers to a center of a two-dimensional area. A centroid (X) for a strut is X=(1/A) (xi.Math.Ai, i=1 . . . n) where the sum is taken over the entire two-dimensional area (i=1 . . . n) of the strut cross-section, A is the total area (A=Ai, i=1 . . . n) of the strut cross-section and the product xi.Math.Ai is a first moment of area for an area element Ai of the strut cross-section located a distance xi from some reference, e.g., a coordinate system origin or a strut corner before the strut is shaped.

(28) Shown in FIG. 6 is a portion of a ring 20 from a scaffold, such as the scaffold shown in FIG. 1. The ring 20 is made up of struts 16 that are joined at crowns 18.

(29) FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the strut 16 from FIG. 6. In this example the strut is shown as square, but more generally the strut 16 cross-section is rectangular. The dimensions of the cross-section will be designated as thickness (t)width (w) as illustrated. In some embodiments the strut thickness (t) corresponds to a wall thickness of a tube from which the strut was made using a laser. An aspect ratio (AR) of strut width to wall thickness (AR=w/t) may range between 0.5 to 1.5, 0.7 to 1.5, 0.7 to 1.3, 0.9 to 1.5, 0.9 to 1.2, 1.0 to 1.5 or 1.5 to 2.0.

(30) The wall thickness can vary based on a pre-crimp diameter. In some embodiments, a wall thickness for a scaffold having a 3 mm outer diameter includes less than 175 microns, less than 150 microns, less than 140 microns, less than 130 microns, about 100 micron, 80 to 100 microns, 80 to 120 microns, 90 to 100 microns, 90 to 110 microns, 110 to 120 microns, or 95 to 105 microns. More preferably a wall thickness is between 80 and 100 microns, and more preferably between 85 and 95 microns. A wall thickness for a scaffold having 7, 8 or 9 mm outer diameters include less than 280 microns, less than 260 microns, less than 240 microns, about 190 micron, 149 to 186 microns, 149 to 220 microns, 170 to 190 microns, 170 to 210 microns, 210 to 220 microns. More preferably a wall thickness is between 150 and 190 microns for a scaffold having an outer diameter of 7, 8 or 9 mm.

(31) The width (w) dimension spans a width-wise extent of the strut's luminal 16a and abluminal 16b surface for the scaffold. Thus, when the scaffold is implanted, the surface 16a (luminal) faces the lumen interior and comes in contact with blood flowing through the lumen. The surface 16b (abluminal) faces and is in intimate contact with the walls of the vessel.

(32) In general it is understood that the surfaces 16a, 16b may be considered flat when the strut is made from a tube 16 because the tube's radius is typically much, much larger than the width-wise extent of the abluminal and luminal surfaces 16a, 16b. In the preferred embodiments the scaffold is made from a tube that has a diameter about equal to, or greater than a nominal balloon diameter of the balloon upon which the scaffold is attached. Struts of some stents formed at a diameter very close to a crimped diameter may have curvature on the abluminal/luminal side.

(33) Following the laser cutting, the strut cross-section takes the general shape of a rectangle, e.g., square, cross-section having relatively sharp or right-angle corners as shown. While metallic stents nearly always undergo electropolishing which rounds the strut corners, bioresorbable polymeric scaffolds do not require a polishing operation. Hence such scaffolds can have struts with sharp corners.

(34) In accordance with the objectives of the invention, methods are disclosed for re-shaping the strut 16 of the scaffold including, but limited to methods for rounding corners of struts of a scaffold to improve the hemocompatibility of the scaffold when implanted in a vessel. According to one aspect of the disclosure, the methods employed may be used to produce three types of struts having a shaped cross-section, or three types of shaped struts (the term shaped strut means a strut of a scaffold cut from a tube. The strut surface is changed by an abrasive or melting process that produces at least one rounded corner).

(35) An example of the first type of shaped strut is illustrated in FIG. 8A. According to these embodiments the shaped strut 36 has retained the rectangular shape of the strut 16 from FIG. 7, except at one or more of the corners. One, two, three or all four of the sharp or right-angle corners of the strut 16 are replaced by rounded or smoothed corners for the shaped strut 36. The surfaces 36a and 36b correspond to the luminal and abluminal surfaces of the strut, respectively. FIG. 8A shows the case where the shaped strut 36 has four rounded corners 37a-37d (the phantom line 16 refers to the original shape of the strut before it was re-shaped, i.e., strut 16 from FIG. 6). The shaped strut 36 of FIG. 8A is symmetric about two orthogonal axes X and Y centered at the centroid (C) of the strut 16 or the strut 36.

(36) An example of the second type of shaped strut is illustrated in FIG. 8B. According to these embodiments one, both or none of the corners bordering the abluminal surface 36b have rounded corners 47a, 47b. The opposite corners 47c, 47d bordering the luminal surface 46a are rounded to a much greater extent than corners 46a, 46b (the phantom line 16a refers to the original shape of the strut before it was re-shaped, i.e., strut 16 from FIG. 6). The shaped strut 46 is symmetric about only one of two orthogonal axes; the shaped strut 46 is symmetric about an axis passing through and normal (or at a right angle) to both the abluminal and luminal surfaces 46a, 46b; and/or the shaped strut 46 is symmetric about the Y axis, but not the X axis of FIG. 8B, where the X and Y axes are centered at the centroid (C) of the strut 16 or the strut 46. The second strut type has these one-axis symmetries when the curvatures 47c, 47d are similar to each other and existing on only the luminal side of the strut; in other words, the portion to the right of the Y axis is a mirror image of the portion to the left of the Y axis.

(37) In some embodiments the corners 47c, 47d are rounded (as shown) and may be described by a radius of curvature or radius. In these embodiments the radius of curvature for the corners 47c, 47d are about 1.5, 2, 2.5 or between 1.5 to 3 times higher than the radius of curvature for a rounded corner 47a and/or 47b. In some embodiments the corners 47c, 47d are replaced by relatively straight, sloped surfaces of between about 30, 45, 30-60, 50-80, 70 and 60 degrees measured relative to the X axis. In some embodiments, at least of the flat sidewall surface of the strut is maintained when the strut is being shaped; in other words, at least of the wall thickness is maintained as when cut so that not too much material is removed as to significantly weaken the strut.

(38) An example of the third type of shaped strut is illustrated in FIG. 8C. According to these embodiments one, two or none of the corners bordering the abluminal surface 56b have rounded corners 57a, 57b. One or both of the opposite corners 57c, 57d bordering the luminal surface 56a are rounded to a much greater extent than are corners 56a, 56b (the phantom line 16 refers to the original shape of the strut before it was re-shaped, i.e., strut 16 from FIG. 6). The shaped strut 56 is asymmetric about the Y axis and the X axis of FIG. 8C, where the X and Y axes are centered at the centroid (C) of the strut 16 or the strut 46. The third strut type may be thought of as a strut cross-section having no axes of symmetry relative to the centroid of the strut 16.

(39) In some embodiments the corner 57c is similar to rounded corners 57a and/or 57b. The corner 57d is sloped, rounded or shaped to a much greater extent than any of corners 57a, 57b and 57c. The difference in shape between corners 57c and 57d produces the asymmetric shape for strut 56 about the Y axis. Corner 57c when curved may be described by a radius of curvature or radius. In these embodiments the radius of curvature for the corner 57d is about 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 or between 1.5 to 5 times higher than the radius of curvature for a rounded corner 47a and/or 47b, and/or corner 57b. In some embodiments the corners 57c, 57d are replaced by relatively straight, sloped surfaces of between about 30 to 40, or 45 and 60 degrees measured relative to the X axis.

(40) In some embodiments the third type of strut's leading edge (i.e. upstream side of the strut which first encounters blood flow) is thicker or retains a greater percentage of the strut 16 thickness (prior to shaping the strut) than an opposing trailing edge. This may be defined as a larger strut thickness, or amount of material, to the right (upstream side) of axis y compared to the downstream side. For example, the leading edge has 70% to 95% of the strut thickness after it being made into a shaped strut whereas the trailing edge has between 30% to 60%, or between 50% to 80% of this strut thickness (prior to the strut being shaped both the leading and trailing edges have about the same thickness). For example, in FIG. 8C the leading edge 59b is about 50% greater in terms of its straight edge length and area upstream of axis Y than compared with the trailing edge 59a. In some embodiments the shaped strut may have a constant (linear) taper or a curved (non-linear) taper from leading to trailing edges. The curved taper is shown in FIG. 8C. Alternatively the curved slope can instead be straight, which would show the constant taper embodiment.

(41) According to another aspect of the disclosure, flame polishing is used to produce at least the first and second types of strut cross sections, e.g., struts 36 and 46 illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, respectively. Flame polishing is a known method of polishing a material, usually thermoplastics or glass, by exposing it to a flame or heat. When the surface of the material is melted by the flame, surface tension of the flowing molten material causes the sharp corners of the strut 16 to smooth or round-out, thereby producing rounded corners 37a-37d, 47a-47d or 57a-57d (FIGS. 8A-8C).

(42) Flame polishing of a scaffold strut as used herein means smoothing out a surface of the strut using a torch burning a fuel, e.g., hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, or an alcohol. The fuel is combined with an oxidizer such as air or oxygen. The torch flame is placed adjacent to the surface of the scaffold such that the scaffold surface is heated to melting by both convection and radiation. In some embodiments a hydrogen/oxygen flame is used to melt the scaffold surface when desirous to take advantage of this flame chemistry, which produces no contaminates affecting the composition of the polymer surface. On the other hand, it may be advantageous to use a flame chemistry that will deposit a material onto the polymer surface. Adjustment of the fuel to oxidizer ratio results in lean or rich ratios. Rich ratios can deposit a carbonaceous layer onto the scaffold surface. This deposit can serve multiple purposes. It can help control the degree of melting by acting as an insulator. Carbonaceous deposits can also enhance hemocompatibility. Different fuels and flame chemistries have different adiabatic flame temperatures. Selection of the appropriate temperature flame will make the smoothing process more controllable and avoid excessive melting.

(43) Another potential benefit to the flame chemistry on the surface of the bioresorbable scaffold is its effect on adhesion. Typically, a coating of a bioresorbable polymer combine with a therapeutic agent is applied to all, or a portion of, the surface of the bioresorbable scaffold. A flame treatment can oxidize a surface, increase its surface free energy, and improve the adhesion of a subsequently applied coating.

(44) TABLE 1 below provides an example of the processing parameters that may be used to shape struts that are substantially or completely made from a blend of polylactide (PLA) and a PLA and polycaprolactone (PCL) random copolymer (e.g., 5-30% PCL) and the blended PLA-PCL combination has between about 1% to 8% by weight PCL; or the tube comprises substantially poly(L-lactide) PLLA.

(45) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Processing Parameter Range explanation Temperature 1500-5000 C. in the flame Fuel Methane, ethane, propane, Fuel type clean or dirty? butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, nonane, decane, hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, acetylene, gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil Oxidizer/fuel Ratio may be plus or minus stoichiometry 30% of stoichiometric value Mass oxidizer/ mass fuel Speed 0.5-30 mm/sec Rate at which flame is passed over strut Flame distance 2-40 mm Flame distance from the surface of the strut Flame size 2-20 mm The length of the flame

(46) Some or all of the above operating parameters may be used to polish. For example, a flame temperature can be controlled and distance from the surface of the strut monitored, and/or the surface temperature of the strut can be monitored while it is exposed to the flame.

(47) U.S. Pat. No. 8,580,180 discloses methods for shaping stent struts using heat radiated from a heat source to melt the surface of the strut. The present method of flame polishing however differs from this prior art radiated-heat method in the following way. First, the energy transfer to the strut according to U.S. Pat. No. 8,580,180 is principally from the infra-red (IR) band. A flame placed adjacent the strut transfers energy over a much broader spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Additionally, the flame transfers heat by both a convective and radiative process. The result is that the surface chemistry of the strut may be altered when flame polishing is used. Radiative heating where the polymer temperature does not greatly exceed the melting point (of a crystalline polymer) does not alter the surface chemistry. This is especially true if the radiative heating is performed in an inert atmosphere.

(48) FIGS. 9, 10A, and 10B depict aspects of an apparatus and method for flame polishing a scaffold according to the disclosure. FIGS. 9 and 10A depict methods for exposing primarily the abluminal surfaces 16b of the scaffold struts 16 to a torch 110 having a flame 102. According to these embodiments, the scaffold 40 is held by a cylindrical mandrel 124 which passes through the center of the scaffold 40. The mandrel 124 is removably mounted via a holder 104 to motor 120. Motor 120 is movably mounted on a linear rail 112 of a translational stage 114. Apparatus 100 may be configured via numerical control to move the scaffold 40 relative to the torch 110 at a precisely controlled distance and length of time to ensure the scaffold is not damaged during polishing. Relative motion includes a combination of rotational motion 106 and axial translation 108. Rotational motion 106 is accomplished by rotation of mandrel 124 by motor 120. Axial translation 108 is accomplished by sliding mandrel 124 together with motor 120 on rail 112. The numeric control may control the motor 120 and translational stage 114 to precisely control the relative motion.

(49) Referring to FIG. 10A, a portion of the scaffold struts 16 are shown on the mandrel 124. The vertical distance (h) and rate (v) at which the flame 102 passes over the abluminal surface dictates the degree to which the surface of the struts are re-shaped by the flame. The process may be controlled by monitoring these values. Alternatively, the surface temperature of the struts may be monitored when the flame is passed over (or under) the struts. According to the embodiments the torch 110 is placed at the distance (h) from the struts 16 and moved at the rate (v) over the scaffold abluminal (and/or the scaffold abluminal surface moved under the stationary torch 110) to cause surface melting, flow, and shaping that rounds out the corners bordering or edges of the abluminal surface portion of struts 16, thereby making shaped struts. TABLE 1 provides examples of processing parameters including the rate (v), distance (h) and the flame size (I) (FIG. 10B).

(50) Referring to FIG. 10B an apparatus is used to hold the scaffold within a hollow chamber 126 or sits atop a platform, e.g., a ceramic or glass chamber/platform. Either configuration includes an opening to allow the flame 102 to be passed through the bore or lumen of the scaffold as indicated in FIG. 10B, either manually or under numeric machine control. The torch passes closer to the luminal surface 16a and shapes this surface by surface tension more so than the abluminal surface. By placing the flame closer to the luminal surface the corners bordering or edges of the luminal surface are expected to round out more than the corners or edges of the abluminal surface.

(51) According to one embodiment the scaffold 40 is placed on the mandrel 124 and the torch 110 passed over the scaffold 40 to produce rounded corners 37a and 37b. The scaffold is then placed within a tubular, open-ended chamber 126 (or atop a platform having an opening for passage of the torch through the scaffold bore) and the torch 110 passed through the scaffold bore to round corners, e.g., corners 37c and 37d. The exposure time to the flame 102 when the flame 102 is passed through the scaffold bore may be approximately the same as, or slightly longer than when the flame is 102 passed over the exterior of the scaffold 40 (FIG. 9). The flame utilized in FIG. 10B may be similar in size, or considerably smaller, than the flame used in apparatus 100. When the luminal surface 16a is exposed to the flame for a longer period of time than was the abluminal surface 16b, one may produce the second type of shaped strut 46 (symmetric about only one axis, e.g., the Y-axis in FIG. 8B). When the luminal surface 16a is exposed to the flame for the same period of time as the abluminal surface 16b, one may produce the first type of shaped strut 36 (symmetric about two axes, e.g., the X and Y axes in FIG. 8A)

(52) According to another aspect of the disclosure a brush is used to produce the shaped struts 36, 46 and/or 56. The brush has bristles configured or adapted to abrade the surface of the scaffold struts. As will be appreciated, the brush may be moved in one direction only over the strut 16 surface to produce the shaped strut 56, or equally in opposite directions to produce the shaped struts 36 and 46.

(53) The brush bristles or wires have a diameter preferably smaller than the width (w) and/or thickness (t) of the strut 16. The bristle material has a much higher hardness than the surface of the strut. The sides of the wires may be smooth. However, it is advantageous if the sides of the wires themselves have a roughness so that they may abrade the strut material. The ends of the wires may have smooth, rounded tips or tips with sharp edges. The brush wires may have one or more, or any combination of the following properties:

(54) The wire length (from stem to tip) is between 500 and 8000 microns.

(55) The mean roughness (Ra) of the wire is between 0.1 and 20 microns.

(56) The wire material is metal, metal alloy, polymer, polymer containing an abrasive, ceramic, or glass.

(57) The wire diameter is between about 1 to 200 microns, about 2 to 150 microns or between about 10 to 100 microns.

(58) The wires of the brush may be relatively short so that the abrasion of the scaffold surface occurs mostly from the tips scrapping over the surface of the strut. Alternatively, the wires may be longer but have a higher side wall surface roughness. In this case the wires abrade the surface of the strut when sliding over the strut.

(59) FIG. 11 depicts an example of using a brush 99 to shape the corners or edges bordering the luminal surfaces of struts. The brush resembles a pipe brush sized appropriately to abrade the corners or edges of the luminal surfaces of the scaffold as the brush 99 is pulled or pushed through the scaffold bore. FIGS. 12A and 12B depicts a close up view of the brush 99 when the brush 99 is first applied to the struts 16 and after the brush has been applied. The brush direction predominately moved over the struts 16 in the direction shown to produce the shaped strut 56. Additionally the brush may be used on the other surfaces as well to round out corners. The brush may lie on a wire which extends completely through the bore of the scaffold to facilitate pulling the brush through the scaffold bore.

(60) FIG. 13 depicts a partial side cross-sectional view of a distal end portion of a medical device 200 according to another aspect of the disclosure. The medical device 200 includes the scaffold 40 having shaped struts 56 crimped to a balloon 30 of a balloon catheter (the catheter has a shaft 32 providing an inflation lumen for the balloon 30 and a distal tip 33), as depicted in FIG. 13. The scaffold has the third type of shaped struts, shaped struts 56, arranged such that the leading edge 59b (FIGS. 13 and 8C) of a shaped strut 56 is located upstream of the trailing edge 59a. By having the struts shaped and arranged in this manner it is believed that the hemocompatibility of the scaffold can be greater improved during the initial stages of patency. The orientation of the strut 56 with a downward-sloped corner 56d providing the tapered trailing edge 59a to the strut 56 assists with reducing the amount of blood recirculation downstream of the strut. In other embodiments the scaffold has the second type of shaped strut 46, with sloped surfaces 47c, 47d in place of surfaces 57c, 57d. The sloped surfaces 47c, 47d face the balloon surface 30.

(61) The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.

(62) These modifications can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. The terms used in claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification.