US Patent 7470281 Coated stent with crimpable coating

The expandable stent with a crimpable coating of the present invention provides an expandable stent with a coating containing a drug or therapeutic agent that can be crimped to a balloon according to conventional methods without damaging the coating. The stent comprises a stent frame, and a coating applied over the stent frame with the coating having at least one crimpable zone and containing a therapeutic agent. In one embodiment, the length of the crimpable zone can be much less than the length of the stent and the crimpable zone can have a higher durometer value than the remainder of the coating. In another embodiment, the coating in the crimpable zones can form rails to protect the coating in the regular coating zones.