Biocompatibles Limited

Donal Thomas Hempensall

Alistair Stewart Taylor

Lee Alan Tollhurst

An apparatus for coating tubular members, such as stents comprises a liquid reservoir and a stent support member for supporting, in use, a tubular member. Support member dipping means places the support member in the liquid reservoir in use and draws the support member therefrom. Pressure differential generating means generates a pressure differential. The stent support member is arranged to provide a central passageway through a stent placed thereon, the central passageway having a plurality of perforations formed therein, and the pressure differential generating means is arranged to generate, in use, a pressure differential between the passageway and the tubular member.

Coating

The invention provides an apparatus for coating tubular members, such as stents, and also provides a method for coating tubular members. The invention improves manufacturing efficiencies of existing manual-dipping technology for stents and also addresses manufacturing problems from stents having plural surface apertures associated with the presence of excess liquid, inconsistent drying of the liquid and blockage.

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Uxbridge, United Kingdom

Donal Thomas Hempensall