IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE MADE FROM AN AMORPHOUS OR VERY LOW CRYSTALLINITY POLYMER CONSTRUCT
申请人:Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
公开号:US20140084515A1
公开(公告)日:2014-03-27
Methods of fabricating a polymeric implantable device with improved fracture toughness through annealing, nucleating agents, or both are disclosed herein. A polymeric construct that is completely amorphous or that has a very low crystallinity is annealed with no or substantially no crystal growth to increase nucleation density. Alternatively, the polymer construct includes nucleating agent. The crystallinity of the polymer construct is increased with a high nucleation density through an increase in temperature, deformation, or both. An implantable medical device, such as a stent, can be fabricated from the polymer construct after the increase in crystallinity.