| abstract |
Medical devices, such as endoprostheses, and methods of making the devices are described. In some implementations, the endoprostheses is a stent having a tubular body with an outer wall surface, and an inner wall surface defining a stent central lumen. One or more regions of the outer wall surface and the inner wall surfaces is formed by a porous, sintered metal layer. One or more regions of the porous, sintered metal layer provides a porous reservoir or media for drug material. The porous, sintered metal layer in one or more regions of the inner wall surface provides relatively decreased friction, increased hardness and lower tack, as compared to excipient polymeric coating material for stents, and are positioned to facilitate improved, relatively lower resistance withdrawal of a delivery balloon from the stent central lumen. |