1. An image forming apparatus in which an electrostatic latent image is developed at a development position with a liquid developing agent, whereby a toner image is formed, and the toner image is transferred at a transfer position onto a transfer medium, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a latent image carrier which has a maximum image area and which rotates in a first direction to carry the electrostatic latent image formed within the maximum image area;
(b) a developing unit which includes
(b-1) a developing agent housing section which stores the liquid developing agent,
(b-2) a developing agent carrier which rotates while carrying the liquid developing agent, abuts on the latent image carrier at the development position and develops the electrostatic latent image with the liquid developing agent, and
(b-3) a coating roller which has a coating area, which rotates and makes the coating area contact the liquid developing agent held within the developing agent housing section, thereby scooping up the liquid developing agent from the developing agent housing section, and which rotates together with and contacts the developing agent carrier, thereby applying the liquid developing agent to the developing agent carrier; and
(c) a first cleaning member which is disposed on the downstream side to the transfer position along the first direction and which removes the liquid developing agent remaining on the latent image carrier, wherein
where the width of the coating area, the width of the developing agent carrier, the width of the maximum image area and the width of the first cleaning member taken along a second direction which is approximately orthogonal to the first direction are respectively W1, W2, W3 and W4, the following conditions are satisfied:
a first condition that W1>W2 is met and in the second direction, the both edges of the developing agent carrier are located on the inner side to the both edges of the coating area,
a second condition that W2>W3 is met and in the second direction, the both edges of the image area are located on the inner side to the both edges of the developing agent carrier, and
a third condition that W4>W2 is met and in the second direction, the both edges of the developing agent carrier are located on the inner side to the both edges of the first cleaning member.
2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the developing unit further includes (b-4) a regulator member which is disposed on the upstream side to an abutting position along the direction of rotations of the coating roller and which restricts the amount of the liquid developing agent which is carried on the coating area, the abutting position being a position at which the developing agent carrier and the coating roller contact each other, and
where W5 denotes the width; of regulation along the second direction over which it is possible to for the regulator member to restrict the amount of the liquid developing agent which is carried on the coating area, the following condition is further satisfied:
a fourth condition that W5>W2 is met and in the second direction, the both edges of the developing agent carrier are located on the inner side to the both edges of the width of regulation.
3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the developing unit further includes (b-5) a second cleaning member which is disposed on the downstream side to the development position along the direction of rotations of the developing agent carrier and which removes the liquid developing agent which remains on the developing agent carrier, and
where the width of the second cleaning member taken along the second direction is W6, the following condition is satisfied:
a fifth condition that W6>W2 is met and in the second direction, the both edges of the developing agent carrier are located on the inner side to the both edges of the second cleaning member.
4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating area, the developing agent carrier and the image area are disposed such that approximately central portions thereof along the second direction are located on one linear line.
5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating roller is an anilox roller which has grooves in the coating area, and the coating roller carries the liquid developing agent in the grooves and scoops up the liquid developing agent.
6. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating roller is a wire bar.
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 stent graft, comprising:
a tubular metal stent having a first end and at least a second end and interior luminal and exterior non-luminal surfaces;
a smooth polymeric coating encapsulating the metal stent; and
a textured polymeric coating disposed over the exterior non-luminal surface of the encapsulated stent.
2. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the metal stent comprises:
a first mesh cylinder having first and second ends;
first and second fixation rings non-rigidly connected to the first and second ends of the first mesh cylinder, respectively, by a plurality of fasteners, wherein each fixation ring is a metal ring having a smooth zigzag pattern;
a plurality of spikes located on an exterior surface of the fixation rings, wherein the spikes penetrate through the textured polymeric coating.
3. The stent graft of claim 2, wherein the spikes have a pyramidal shape.
4. The stent graft of claim 2, wherein the spikes are between 0.5 mm and 3 mm tall.
5. The stent graft of claim 4, wherein the spikes have a height of 2 mm and a base of at least 1 mm2.
6. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the polymeric coatings comprise a non-biodegradable, biocompatible polyurethane.
7. The stent graft of claim 6, wherein the polyurethane is CHRONOFLEX.
8. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the stent graft delivers an anti-proliferative agent from its ends.
9. The stent graft of claim 8, wherein the anti-proliferative agent is selected from Rapamycin, a Rapamycin analog, Taxol, and a Taxol analog.
10. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the stent graft provides a coagulant at at least a portion of its exterior surface.
11. The stent graft of claim 10, wherein the coagulant is covalently or non-covalently linked to the exterior surface of the stent graft.
12. The stent graft of claim 10, wherein the coagulant is released from the exterior surface of the stent graft over a pre-determined period of time.
13. The stent graft of claim 12, wherein the predetermined period of time is less than 48 hrs.
14. The stent graft of claim 13, wherein the predetermined period of time is less than 24 hrs.
15. The stent graft of claim 10, wherein the coagulant is thrombin.
16. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the textured polymeric coating is adapted and constructed to mechanically interlock with a blood clot.
17. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the textured polymeric coating has a texture of a tangle of threads.
18. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the graft delivers an anti-thrombolytic agent from at least a portion of the interior luminal surface.
19. A stent, comprising:
a tubular metal frame having a first end and at least a second end and interior luminal and exterior non-luminal surfaces;
a first fixation ring at each end of the frame and non-rigidly connected to the frame by a plurality of fasteners, wherein the fixation ring is a metal ring having a smooth zigzag pattern; and
a plurality of spikes located on an exterior surface of the fixation rings.
20. The stent of claim 19, wherein the metal frame comprises:
a first mesh cylinder having first and second ends; and
first and second fixation rings non-rigidly connected to the first and second ends of the first mesh cylinder, respectively.
21. The stent of claim 20, further comprising:
second and third mesh cylinders each having first and second ends; and
third, fourth, fifth, and sixth fixation rings non-rigidly connected to the first and second ends of the second and third mesh cylinders, respectively, wherein the first ends of the second and third mesh cylinders are linked to the second end of the first mesh cylinder by a non-rigid mechanical connection between the second fixation ring and the third and fifth fixation rings.
22. The stent of claim 21, further comprising seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth fixation rings disposed between the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth fixation rings, respectively, and the second and third mesh cylinders, respectively, wherein adjacent fixation rings are non-rigidly connected to one another and to the adjacent mesh cylinder by a member of fasteners, sutures, and both.
23. The stent of claim 20, further comprising third and fourth fixation rings disposed between the first and second fixation rings, respectively, and the first mesh cylinder, wherein the third and fourth fixation rings are non-rigidly connected to the first and second fixation rings, respectively, and the first mesh cylinder by a member of fasteners, sutures, and both.
24. The stent of claim 19, wherein the first fixation ring and the metal frame each comprise a plurality of eyelets adapted and constructed to receive the fasteners.
25. The stent of claim 19, wherein the fasteners are selected from metal loops, wire, and suture.
26. The stent of claim 19, wherein the spikes have a pyramidal shape.
27. The stent of claim 19, wherein the spikes are between 0.5 mm and 3 mm tall.
28. The stent of claim 19, wherein the spikes have a height of 2 mm and a base of at least 1 mm2.
29. A method of making an abdominal aneurysm repair device, comprising:
providing a first cylindrical metal mesh having first and second ends; and
non-rigidly attaching at least one fastening ring to each of the first and second ends,
wherein the fastening ring is a metal ring having a smooth zigzag pattern and a plurality of spikes disposed on its exterior surface.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
providing at least second and third mesh cylinders having a smaller cross-sectional area than the first metal mesh;
non-rigidly attaching at least one fastening ring to each end of each of the second and third mesh cylinders; and
attaching the fastening ring at one end of the first metal mesh to the fastening rings at the ends of the second and third mesh cylinders.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein non-rigidly attaching includes attaching two fastening rings at each end of the second and third mesh cylinders.
32. The method of claim 29, wherein non-rigidly attaching includes attaching two fastening rings at each end of the first mesh cylinder.
33. The method of claim 29, further comprising encapsulating the mesh cylinder in a non-biodegradable, biocompatible polyurethane.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the polyurethane is CHRONOFLEX.
35. The method of claim 33, further comprising depositing a textured coating on an exterior surface of the mesh cylinder, wherein the spikes penetrate through the textured coating.
36. The method of claim 29, wherein the metal is a shape memory alloy.
37. The method of claim 29, wherein the metal is a stress induced memory alloy.