What is claimed:
1. A method for coating a stent, comprising the steps of:
providing a stent;
applying a base layer of sticky material to selected surfaces of said stent;
applying pharmacological agent in micronized, dry form to selected surfaces coated by said base layer; and
applying a membrane forming polymer coating through which said pharmacological agent is able to diffuse to all surfaces of said stent.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said base layer is applied to all surfaces of said stent.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said stent is masked so as to apply said base layer to only selected surfaces of said stent.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pharmacological agent is applied to all surfaces having said base layer applied thereto.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said stent is masked so as to apply said pharmacological agent to only selected surfaces coated with said base coat.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of pharmacological agents are applied to selected surfaces having said base layer applied thereto.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of pharmacological agents comprises a uniform mixture.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein selected pharmacological agents of said plurality of pharmacological agents are applied.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein, the base layer is selected from the group consisting of vitronectin, fibronectin, gelatin and collagen.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said base layer is applied by dipping.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said pharmacological agent is applied by rolling said stent in a mass of said pharmacological agent.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein said pharmacological agent is applied by blowing said dry, micronized particles onto said stent.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein said membrane forming polymer comprises EVa.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said membrane forming polymer comprises a fluoropolymer film.
15. A coated stent, comprising:
an expandable structure;
a base coating of sticky material;
an intermediate coating of pharmacological agent in dry, micronized form; and
an outer coating of membrane forming polymer through which said pharmacological agent is capable of diffusing.
16. The coated stent of claim 12, wherein said base coating is present on only selected surfaces of said expandable structure.
17. The coated stent of claim 12, wherein said pharmacological agent is present on only selected base coated surfaces.
18. The coated stent of claim 12, wherein said intermediate coating comprises a plurality of pharmacological agents.
19. The coated stent of claim 15, wherein said plurality of pharmacological agents is homogeneously distributed throughout said intermediate coating.
20. The coated stent of claim 15, wherein said plurality of pharmacological agents is heterogeneously distributed throughout said intermediate coating.
21. The coated stent of claim 17, wherein said expandable structure has exterior surfaces and interior surfaces and wherein a first of said plurality of pharmacological agents is distributed on said exterior surfaces and a second of said pharmacological agents is distributed on said interior surfaces.
22. The coated stent of claim 12, wherein said outer coating comprises EVA.
23. The coated stent of claim 12, wherein said outer coating comprises a fluoropolymer film.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A trilaminate shingle having a horizontal longitudinal orientation, the shingle comprising:
an overlay sheet, the overlay sheet having series of tabs and cutouts extending horizontally across the shingle;
a middle sheet having a series of tabs and cutouts extending horizontally across the shingle, the middle sheet cutouts being narrower horizontally than the overlay cutouts; and
an underlay sheet beneath the middle sheet;
wherein the middle sheet is laminated beneath the overlay so that portions of the middle sheet, including at least some of the middle sheet cutouts, are exposed through the overlay cutouts;
wherein the underlay is laminated beneath the middle sheet so that portions of the underlay are exposed through the middle sheet cutouts and through the overlay cutouts; and
wherein the exposed portions of the underlay sheet are generally darker than the middle sheet.
2. The shingle of claim 1 in which the exposed portions of the middle sheet are generally darker than the overlay sheet.
3. The shingle of claim 1 in which the exposed portions of the underlay are generally darker than the overlay sheet.
4. The shingle of claim 1:
wherein the shingle has a front edge; and
wherein the overlay tabs and middle sheet tabs extend to the front edge.
5. The single of claim 1 in which the middle sheet cutouts are tapered so that they are horizontally wider toward a front edge of the shingle.
6. The single of claim 1 in which the middle sheet cutouts are tapered so that they are horizontally narrower toward a front edge of the shingle.
7. The single of claim 1 in which the middle sheet cutouts have cutout edges that are substantially parallel to each other.
8. The single of claim 1 in which the middle sheet includes some cutouts that are tapered so that they are horizontally wider toward a front edge of the shingle, some cutouts that are tapered so that they are horizontally narrower toward the front edge of the shingle, and some cutouts that are substantially parallel to each other.
9. The shingle of claim 1 in which the middle sheet includes a horizontal shadow line that is exposed through the overlay cutouts, the shadow line being darker than the remainder of the middle sheet exposed through the overlay cutouts.
10. The shingle of claim 1 in which at least some of the middle sheet cutouts extend only part of the way from a front edge of the shingle to a top edge of the overlay cutouts.
11. A trilaminate shingle having a horizontal longitudinal orientation, the shingle comprising:
an overlay sheet, the overlay sheet having series of tabs and cutouts extending horizontally across the shingle;
a middle sheet having a series of tabs and cutouts extending horizontally across the shingle, the middle sheet cutouts being narrower horizontally than the overlay cutouts; and
an underlay sheet beneath the middle sheet;
wherein the middle sheet is laminated beneath the overlay so that portions of the middle sheet, including at least some of the middle sheet cutouts, are exposed through the overlay cutouts;
wherein the underlay is laminated beneath the middle sheet so that portions of the underlay are exposed through the middle sheet cutouts and through the overlay cutouts; and
wherein the middle sheet cutouts have a horizontal width that is less than about 25 percent of the average width of the overlay cutouts of the shingle.
12. The shingle of claim 11 in which the exposed portions of the middle sheet are generally darker than the overlay sheet.
13. The shingle of claim 12 in which the exposed portions of the underlay are generally darker than the middle sheet.
14. The shingle of claim 11 in which the exposed portions of the underlay are generally darker than the overlay sheet.
15. The shingle of claim 11:
wherein the shingle has a front edge; and
wherein the overlay tabs and middle sheet tabs extend to the front edge.
16. The shingle of claim 11 in which the middle sheet cutouts have a horizontal width that is less than about 20 percent of the average width of the overlay cutouts of the shingle.
17. The single of claim 11 in which the middle sheet cutouts are tapered so that they are horizontally wider toward a front edge of the shingle.
18. The single of claim 11 in which the middle sheet cutouts are tapered so that they are horizontally narrower toward a front edge of the shingle.
19. The single of claim 11 in which the middle sheet cutouts have cutout edges that are substantially parallel to each other.
20. The single of claim 11 in which the middle sheet includes some cutouts that are tapered so that they are horizontally wider toward a front edge of the shingle, some cutouts that are tapered so that they are horizontally narrower toward the front edge of the shingle, and some cutouts that are substantially parallel to each other.
21. The shingle of claim 11 in which the middle sheet includes a horizontal shadow line that is exposed through the overlay cutouts, the shadow line being darker than the remainder of the middle sheet exposed through the overlay cutouts.
22. The shingle of claim 11 in which at least some of the middle sheet cutouts extend only part of the way from a front edge of the shingle to a top edge of the overlay cutouts.