Patent 7708925 was granted and assigned to Abbott on May, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An apparatus for heating and setting elements of a stent. The apparatus is a mandrel having a central core cylinder with an outer surface including a plurality of raised forms and gaps in-between the raised forms. The mandrel also includes a first and second outer cylinder, each having a curved radial end with a cut-out design similar to the shape of the plurality of raised forms. Once a stent is placed on the central core cylinder, the first and second outer cylinders are positioned on the central core cylinder such that the curved radial ends of the first and second outer cylinders align with the plurality of raised forms, shaping the stent.