Method and apparatus for coating a medical device by electroplating

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for coating surfaces of medical devices by electroplating are disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention includes a coating method in which a mixture of a therapeutic agent, and a plating material are electroplated onto the surface of the medical device. The electroplating method may be performed at a relatively low temperature to avoid destruction of the therapeutic agent. In another embodiment, a coating method is disclosed in which the coating is formed by suspending a therapeutic agent in an electrolytic solution and electroplating a plating material onto the medical device wherein the plating material carries the suspended therapeutic agent. Thus, the coating of plating material contains the suspended therapeutic agent. These methods and apparatuses are used to apply one or more coating materials, simultaneously or in sequence by varying the electroplating voltage. In certain embodiments of the invention, the coating materials include therapeutic agents and cationic drugs.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the coating of medical devices. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The positioning and deployment of medical devices within a target site of a patient is a common, often-repeated procedure of contemporary medicine. These devices or implants are used for innumerable medical purposes including the reinforcement of recently re-enlarged lumens, the replacement of ruptured vessels, and the treatment of disease such as vascular disease by local pharmacotherapy, i.e., delivering therapeutic drug doses to target tissues while minimizing systemic side effects. Such medical devices are implanted or otherwise utilized in body lumina and organs such as the coronary vasculature, esophagus, trachea, colon, biliary tract, urinary tract, prostate, brain, and the like. [0003] Coatings are often applied to the surfaces of these medical devices to increase their effectiveness. These coatings may provide a number of benefits including reduc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for applying at least a portion of a coating to a bio-compatible medical device is provided wherein the surface of the medical device is treated, e.g. creating a porous surface layer, to increase the amount of the therapeutic agent that may be electroplated onto the medical device. The coating is formed by electroplating a therapeutic agent into and / or onto the porous surface layer.

[0013] The present invention provides methods and apparatus for coating medical devices having a surface by electroplating a plating material with a therapeutic agent onto the surface of medical devices. The methods of the present invention permit coating the external surface of the medical devices, which, for example, directly contacts the diseased vessel wall, thereby permitting direct local delivery of therapeutic agents to targeted diseased locations. The methods also minimize wasted coating during the coating process, thereby minimizing the loss of expensive therapeutic. The methods also allow the coatings to have uniform thicknesses and mechanical properties, and uniform drug dose.

Problems solved by technology

Dipping and spraying processes usually cannot apply multiple layers of different coatings without requiring appropriate drying time between coating steps, which can increase production time and costs.

Further, dipping and spraying processes may result in uneven coating thickness.

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