1. An apparatus for reducing particle contamination of a reticle surface, the apparatus comprising:
a reticle-holding device that holds a reticle on a surface of the reticle-holding device;
a thermophoresis device situated relative to and spaced from the surface of the reticle-holding device, the thermophoresis device producing a thermophoretic force, in a gas flowing past and contacting a surface of the reticle being held by the reticle-holding device, sufficient to inhibit particles in the gas from contacting the reticle surface; and
an electrophoresis device situated relative to and spaced from the surface of the reticle-holding device and situated relative to a region of the reticle surface contacted by the gas, the electrophoresis device being configured to deflect particles, having an electrostatic charge, in the gas away from the region as the gas flows past the region.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the thermophoresis device produces the thermophoretic force by establishing a temperature gradient in the gas relative to the reticle being held by the reticle-holding device; and
the electrophoresis device comprises an electrode situated and configured to produce a voltage gradient relative to the region of the reticle being held by the reticle-holding device, the voltage gradient being sufficient to attract charged particles away from the region of the reticle surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the region is irradiated by a lithographic energy beam propagating to the reticle surface along an irradiation path;
the thermophoresis device is configured to deliver a flow of the gas in a first direction relative to the reticle surface, the gas being at a temperature appropriate for producing the thermophoretic force, and to direct a portion of the gas flow, in the vicinity of the region, in a second direction opposite the first direction and then away from the region along a trajectory including at least a portion of the irradiation path so as to allow the lithographic energy beam to impart charges to the particles in the directed portion of the gas flow in the second direction; and
the electrophoresis device is configured to deflect the charged particles, in the directed portion of the gas flow, away from the region.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:
the reticle surface is reflective; and
the lithographic energy beam is a beam of extreme ultraviolet light.
5. An apparatus for reducing particle contamination of a reticle surface, the apparatus comprising:
a reticle-holding device that holds a reticle on a surface of the reticle-holding device;
a thermophoresis device situated relative to and spaced from the surface of the reticle-holding device and configured to flow a gas stream in a space substantially parallel to a surface of a reticle being held by the reticle-holding device, the gas stream having a temperature lower than a temperature of the reticle surface so as to establish a thermophoretic temperature gradient between the gas and the reticle surface, the temperature gradient creating a thermophoretic force inhibiting particles from contacting the reticle surface; and
an electrophoresis device situated relative to and spaced from the surface of the reticle-holding device and situated relative to the reticle surface and the thermophoresis device, the electrophoresis device comprising at least one electrode situated in the gas stream, the at least one electrode being configured, when energized, to establish a voltage gradient in the gas stream urging migration of charged particles in the gas away from the reticle surface.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the thermophoresis device comprises a gas-discharge nozzle that flows the gas stream by discharging the gas stream in a manner by which the gas is adiabatic cooled so as to establish the thermophoretic temperature gradient.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the thermophoresis device is further configured to bleed off a portion of the gas stream, in a space adjacent a region of the reticle surface, to the electrophoresis device.
8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one electrode of the electrophoresis device is connected to a DC-voltage source.
9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reticle being held by the reticle-holding device is configured to be irradiated by a lithographic energy beam under a vacuum condition.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a first vacuum chamber, a second vacuum chamber, and a barrier wall separating the first and second vacuum chambers, wherein:
the reticle-holding device is in the first vacuum chamber;
the barrier wall defines an opening allowing the first and second vacuum chambers to communicate with each other; and
the opening is situated so as to allow the lithographic energy beam to pass from the second vacuum chamber to the first vacuum chamber in which the lithographic energy beam illuminates a selected region on the reticle being held by the reticle-holding device and reflects from the selected region, back into the second vacuum chamber.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the surface of the reticle-holding device in the first vacuum chamber is situated substantially parallel to the barrier wall, thereby defining a substantially uniform-width space between the surface of the reticle-holding device and the baffler wall;
the thermophoresis device is configured to flow the stream of gas substantially parallel to the reticle being held by the reticle-holding device and baffler wall through the space, and to bleed off a portion of the stream through the opening from the space into the second chamber away from the reticle; and
the at least one electrode of the electrophoresis device attracts the charged particles, in the bled-off portion of the stream, exiting the first chamber through the opening, to move away from the reticle.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the lithographic energy beam is a beam of extreme ultraviolet light.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the lithographic energy beam has sufficient energy to impart charges to particles entrained in the bled-off portion of the gas stream, so as to render the particles attractive to the at least one electrode.
14. An apparatus for reducing particle contamination of a lithographic reticle surface, the apparatus comprising:
reticle-holding means including surface means for holding a lithographic reticle;
thermophoresis means for producing a thermophoretic force, in a gas flowing past and contacting the reticle surface, sufficient to inhibit particles in the gas from contacting the reticle surface; and
electrophoresis means for deflecting particles, having an electrostatic charge, in the gas away from a region of the reticle surface contacted by the gas as the gas flows past the region.
15. An apparatus for reducing particle contamination of a lithographic reticle surface, the apparatus comprising:
reticle-holding means including surface means for holding a lithographic reticle;
thermophoresis means for flowing a gas stream, having a temperature lower than a temperature of the reticle surface, in a space substantially parallel to the reticle surface so as to establish a thermophoretic temperature gradient between the gas and the reticle surface, and for creating, from the temperature gradient, a thermophoretic force inhibiting particles from contacting the reticle surface; and
electrophoresis means for establishing a voltage gradient urging migration of charged particles in the gas stream away from the reticle surface.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reticle stage that supports the reticle-holding device and moves the reticle-holding device along at least one direction.
17. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a reticle stage that supports the reticle-holding device and moves the reticle-holding device along at least one direction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-11. (canceled)
12. An implantable medical device to be implanted at an implantation site comprising a proximal end (P), a central portion (C) and a distal end (D), comprising at at least one of the proximal end (P), the distal end (D) and the central portion (C), at least one positioning means for positioning the implantable device at a precise point of a branching (E) of a blood vessel (V) comprising a closed mesh defining an orifice for the passage of a guide or guide wire intended to be introduced into a secondary branch of said branching (E) of the blood vessel, a main branch (V1) of which is reached by a stenosis to be treated.
13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one closed mesh of the positioning means comprises a circular or ring shape, at said proximal end P.
14. The device as claimed in claim 12, comprising two closed meshes.
15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the two closed meshes are located substantially diametrically opposite.
16. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the positioning means comprises at least one closed mesh defining an orifice, produced at the distal end (D).
17. The device as claimed in claim 16, comprising two closed meshes.
18. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the two closed meshes are located substantially diametrically opposite.
19. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the positioning means is located in the central portion (C) and comprises at least one closed mesh defining an orifice for the passage of a guide or guide wire.
20. The device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising reinforcing means for reinforcing the device structure, thereby resulting in no substantial deformation of the implantable medical device when using a guide or guide wire exerting an action on at least one of the proximal end (P), of the distal end (D) and of the central portion (C).
21. The device as claimed in claim 12, which consists essentially of a stent or endoprosthesis comprising one or more filament elements configured with bends or zigzags, resulting in a form selected from an annular turn form, an helical turn form, and a combination of both.
22. The device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising structure reinforcing means comprising one link or several links between successive zigzags or bends of the proximal end (P) of the stent or endoprosthesis.
23. The device as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least some of the adjacent bends or zigzags of successive turns are provided with one or several link arms ensuring continuity of the device from the proximal end to the distal end.
24. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said device is produced in a medically compatible metal or alloy.
25. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said medically compatible metal or alloy is selected from the group consisting of nitinol, a cobalt-based metal or a cobalt-based alloy, a medically compatible steel, and a 316L steel.
26. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the device is essentially consisting of a stent coated with at least one coating layer that improves at least one property selected from biocompatibility, deformability, mechanical resistance, and reducing the risk of restenosis.
27. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the device is essentially consisting of a stent comprising several filament elements with bends or zigzags in the form of successive annular turns, at least some of which adjacent bends or zigzags are provided with one or several link arm(s) ensuring continuity of the device from the proximal end to the distal end.
28. An angioplasty method of implanting the implantable medical device of claim 12, comprising:
a) the provision of at least one said implantable medical device or endoprosthesis as described in claim 12;
b) the provision of at least one dilating catheter on the balloon of which is mounted said implantable medical device;
c) the provision of at least one delivery catheter or guide catheter in which the dilating catheter is inserted;
d) the provision of at least one main guide or guide wire, and at least one secondary guide or guide wire, said main guide wire being provided for implantation in the main branch of a branching of a blood vessel, which comprises at least one stenosis to be treated, the secondary guide or guide wire being intended to be implanted in the secondary branch of said blood vessel, in which there is no restenosis to be treated, said stenosis to be treated being situated in immediate proximity to the branching of said blood vessel, called an ostial lesion;
e) using said guide catheter and the dilating catheter, on the one hand, the fitting of the implantable medical device in the vicinity of the branching of the blood vessel whose main branch includes the stenosis to be treated, and on the other hand the fitting of each of the two respectively main and secondary guides being careful to ensure that the main guide guiding the implantable medical device penetrates into the main branch and that the secondary guide penetrates into the secondary branch of the branching of the blood vessel;
f) the precise fitting of the implantable medical device at the branching itself, by exerting a push on the main guide or guide wire toward the distal end, the secondary guide or guide wire forming a stop abutment against the edge of the branching of the blood vessel;
g) the deployment of the implantable medical device to apply it firmly against the wall of the blood vessel including the ostial stenosis;
f) after deployment of the implantable medical device, the dilating catheter or the fitting system is first removed; then, the respectively secondary and main guides or guide wires and finally the guide catheter are removed.