Apparatus for electropolishing a stent

The invention relates generally to providing an apparatus for electropolishing products made from metals. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for electropolishing medical devices made of titanium, stainless steel, tungsten, nickel-titanium, tantalum, cobalt-chromium-tungsten, or cobalt-chromium. The invention is directed to an apparatus and a process for electropolishing a product or metallic device made from a metal alloy. The electropolishing apparatus includes a cathode formed of a tubular member and an anode formed by the metallic device to be electropolished. Both the tubular member and the metallic device are positioned within an electrolytic solution and current is passed through the anode to effect the electropolishing process. The invention is useful for electropolishing metal stents formed of metallic alloys, such as cobalt-chromium-tungsten, in which the stent is positioned within the tubular member and immersed in an electrolytic solution for a predetermined time. The electropolishing process using the apparatus of the invention provides an ultrasmooth and shiny metallic surface on the metallic device for metal stents.