The present invention relates generally to medical devices with therapy
eluting components and methods for making same. More specifically, the
invention relates to implantable medical devices having at least one
porous layer, and methods for making such devices, and loading such
devices with therapeutic agents. A mixture or alloy is placed on the
surface of a medical device, then one component of the mixture or alloy
is generally removed without generally removing the other components of
the mixture or alloy. In some embodiments, a porous layer is adapted for
bonding non-metallic coating, including drug eluting polymeric coatings.
A porous layer may have a random pore structure or an oriented or
directional grain porous structure. One embodiment of the invention
relates to medical devices, including vascular stents, having at least
one porous layer adapted to resist stenosis or cellular proliferation
without requiring elution of therapeutic agents. The invention also
includes methods, devices, and specifications for loading of drugs and
other therapeutic agents into nanoporous coatings.