Apparatus and methods for coating medical devices

Inventors

Chappa, Ralph A. • Militello, Michael

Assignees

Surmodics Inc

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include apparatus and methods for coating drug coated medical devices. In an embodiment, the invention includes a coating apparatus including a coating application unit. The coating application unit can include a fluid applicator having a lengthwise axis and a width. The fluid applicator can include a tip comprising a first face across the width of the fluid applicator. The first face of the fluid applicator can be oriented at an angle of from about 15 to about 75 degrees with respect to the lengthwise axis of the fluid applicator. The fluid applicator can define a second face intersecting the first face. The coating apparatus can further include a rotation mechanism and an axial motion mechanism. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a coating apparatus having a coating application unit with a fluid applicator whose tip includes a first face and a second face. The first face extends across the width of the fluid applicator and is oriented at an angle of from about 15 to about 75 degrees with respect to the lengthwise axis of the fluid applicator. The fluid applicator defines a second face intersecting the first face, and the second face is curved and concave, configured to contact a surface of a device to be coated while the fluid applicator applies a coating to the device.

The coating apparatus further includes a rotation mechanism and an axial motion mechanism. The axial motion mechanism is configured to cause movement of at least one of the coating application unit and the rotation mechanism with respect to one another. The relative motion supports coating deposition along a helical path, with coating applied while the second concave face contacts the device surface.

A related aspect specifies that the second face is concave and oriented at an oblique angle relative to the lengthwise axis of the fluid applicator. The apparatus includes a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the device about a rotation axis, and an axial motion mechanism configured to cause movement of at least one of the coating application unit and the rotation mechanism with respect to one another about an axis parallel to the rotation axis. Another variation specifies a rotation axis substantially orthogonal to the lengthwise axis of the fluid applicator, while the second face remains concave and configured to contact the surface of a device to be coated, including an example in which the device is a balloon catheter.

Claims Coverage

The document provides three independent coating apparatus claims (clm-00001, clm-00009, clm-00010), each centered on an angled first face and an intersecting curved concave second face on a fluid applicator tip, combined with relative rotation and axial motion between a device and the coating application unit. Across the independent claims, there are four main inventive feature themes: the specific first-face angle, the concave intersecting second-face configuration and orientation, the specific rotation axis relationship, and the axial motion relative movement mechanism.

Across the independent claims, the claim coverage focuses on a fluid applicator tip geometry defined by an angled first face and an intersecting concave second face configured to contact a device surface during coating. Each independent claim combines this tip geometry with a rotation mechanism and an axial motion mechanism that produce relative movement between the device and the coating application unit, with claim 9 specifying axial motion about an axis parallel to the rotation axis and claim 10 specifying a rotation axis substantially orthogonal to the applicator lengthwise axis.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications