| abstract |
Intraluminal stents and methods of manufacturing intraluminal stents are disclosed in which the stents have a plurality of recesses in the body of the stent, at least some of the recesses preferably providing a plurality of passageways between the inner and outer surfaces of the stent. The preferred stents are constructed of films on support structures having spaced apart elements, with the films having a thickness of between about 25 micrometers and about 400 micrometers. The stent can also be treated with an antithrombotic or a thrombolytic substance and, in some cases, the stents can incorporate therapeutic agents for delivery. The methods of manufacturing stents include forming the films using a solid particulate material that can be substantially removed after the film is formed, thereby forming the recesses and corresponding passageways described above. In preferred methods, the solid particulate material is soluble in a solvent in which the film is substantially insolvent. |