Abstract: A coated medical device (10) including a structure (12) adapted for introduction into a passage or vessel of a patient. The structure is formed of preferably a non-porous base material (14) having a bioactive material layer (18) disposed thereon. The medical device is preferably an implantable stent or balloon (26) of which the bioactive material layer is deposited thereon. The stent can be positioned around the balloon and another layer of the bioactive material posited over the entire structure and extending beyond the ends of the positioned stent. The ends of the balloon extend beyond the ends of the stent and include the bioactive material thereon for delivering the bioactive material to the cells of a vessel wall coming in contact therewith. The balloon further includes a layer of hydrophilic material (58) positioned between the base and bioactive material layers of the balloon.

Abstract: A medical device (10) includes a structure (12) adapted for introduction into a patient, the structure (12) being formed of a preferably non-porous base material (14) having a roughened or textured surface (16). The structure (12) is conveniently configured as a vascular stent with a base material (14) of stainless steel, nitinol or another suitable material. The medical device (10) also includes a layer (18) of a bioactive material posited directly upon the roughened or textured surface (16) of the base material (14) of the structure (12). The surface (16) of the base material (14) is roughened or textured by etching or by abrasion with sodium bicarbonate or another suitable grit. A preferred roughened or textured surface (16) is thought to have a mean surface roughness of about 10 ?in. (about 250 nm) and a surface roughness range between about 1 ?in. and about 100 ?in. (about 25 nm and about 2.5 ?m).

Abstract: An expandable stent prosthesis is disclosed in which the apices of the bends located at at least one end of the stent are individually twisted at an angle to the circumference of the stent to form a fan blade-like arrangement when viewed from that end. The fan blade-like arrangement allows the stent to expand from the compressed condition during deployment such that likelihood of a strut or bend of the stent become entangled with a barb or adjacent strut or bend, is reduced. In one embodiment of the invention, the fan blade-like arrangement results from plastically deforming the individual apices, while in another embodiment, the apices are twisted into the fan blade-like arrangement during the loading process, such as by use of a suture thread to pull the apices into alignment.

Abstract: A medical device (10) includes a structure (12) adapted for introduction into a patient, the structure (12) being formed of a preferably non-porous base material (14) having a roughened or textured surface (16). The structure (12) is conveniently configured as a vascular stent with a base material (14) of stainless steel, nitinol or another suitable material. The medical device (10) also includes a layer (18) of a bioactive material posited directly upon the roughened or textured surface (16) of the base material (14) of the structure (12). The surface (16) of the base material (14) is roughened or textured by etching or by abrasion with sodium bicarbonate or another suitable grit. A preferred roughened or textured surface (16) is thought to have a mean surface roughness of about 10 &mgr;in. (about 250 nm) and a surface roughness range between about 1 &mgr;in. and about 100 &mgr;in. (about 25 nm and about 2.5 &mgr;m).