The present invention is directed towards the holding of medical devices during manufacture to enable the application of therapeutic and/or protective coatings. More specifically, the present invention provides medical device holders that securely retain stents and other medical devices during the application of a coating while minimizing compressive and tensile forces applied to the stents. The invention avoids disruptions to coating quality due to holder blockage during coating deposition. The invention discloses an improved device containing a mandrel and frame that may improve coating uniformity by eliminating shadowing from the frame of the medical device holder when applying coatings to stents and other medical devices.