Thermoplastic fluoropolymer-coated medical devices
First Claim
1. An implantable device comprising at least one bendable element provided with a coating of a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether over at least a portion of a surface of the bendable element, wherein said copolymer is free of cross-linking monomers and curing agents, and said coating is substantially free of macroscopic cracks immediately following normal bending of the bendable element.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medical device provided with at least a partial surface coating of a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether that is free of cross-linking monomers and curing agents. The fluoropolymer coating is preferably an amorphous thermoplastic, is highly inert and biocompatible, has elastomeric characteristics that provide desirable mechanical properties such as good flexibility and durability. These characteristics allow the coating to be considered “functionally transparent” because it withstands mechanical deformations required for the assembly, deployment, expansion, and placement of medical devices, without any adverse effect on the mechanical and biological functionality of the coated device. Further, its inertness, derived from the perfluorocarbon structure, contributes to its functionally transparent nature. The coating can be provided with various liquid or solid additives, can be loaded with large quantities of additives including a wide range of therapeutic agents, and has excellent drug elution characteristics when elutable additives are used. The desirable mechanical characteristics are surprising given the absence of cross-linking monomers and curing agents that would otherwise render such materials inadequately biocompatible. The perfluoroalkylvinylether may be perfluoromethylvinylether, perfluoroethylvinylether or perfluoropropylvinylether.
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Citations
108 Claims
- 1. An implantable device comprising at least one bendable element provided with a coating of a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether over at least a portion of a surface of the bendable element, wherein said copolymer is free of cross-linking monomers and curing agents, and said coating is substantially free of macroscopic cracks immediately following normal bending of the bendable element.
- 24. A device comprising a medical device provided with a coating over at least a portion of a surface of the medical device, said coating comprising a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoropropylvinylether, said copolymer being free of cross-linking monomers and curing agents.
- 30. A device comprising a medical device provided with a coating over at least a portion of a surface of the medical device, said coating comprising a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroethylvinylether, said copolymer being free of cross-linking monomers and curing agents.
- 36. An implantable device comprising a first form expandable to a second form different from the first form, said device having at least two expandable endoluminal elements in adjacent relationship with an open interstice between the two expandable endoluminal elements, said expandable endoluminal elements provided with a coating over at least a portion of a surface of the expandable endoluminal elements such that said coating covers the open interstice between the adjacent expandable endoluminal elements rendering it no longer open, said coating comprising a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether, wherein said coating continues to cover the interstice between the adjacent elements immediately following normal expansion of the expandable endoluminal elements to the second form.
- 47. An implantable device comprising a device having expandable endoluminal elements in adjacent relationship with an open interstice between adjacent expandable endoluminal elements, said expandable endoluminal elements provided with a covering over at least one open interstice rendering it no longer open, wherein at least a portion of said covering and at least a portion of said endoluminal elements are provided with a coating comprising a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether.
- 60. An article comprising a medical device provided with a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether coating over at least a portion of a surface of the medical device, said coating containing a therapeutic agent, said therapeutic agent capable of eluting out of said coating at a rate following implantation of said article into a living body, wherein following puncture of said article with a surgical tool followed by removal of said tool, said rate is substantially increased.
- 62. An article comprising a medical device provided with a coating over at least a portion of a surface of the medical device, said coating comprising a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether, said coating containing a therapeutic agent that, following implantation of the device into a body conduit, will continue to elute out of the coating over a period of 30 days or more.
- 76. A device comprising a medical device provided with a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether coating over at least a portion of a surface of the medical device, said coating being attached directly to a portion of the surface of the medical device in the absence of a surface treatment of the portion of the medical device.
- 88. An implantable device comprising at least one expandable endoluminal element provided with coating of a thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinylether over at least a portion of a surface of the expandable endoluminal element, wherein said copolymer is free of cross-linking monomers and curing agents, and said coating is substantially free of macroscopic cracks immediately following normal expansion of the expandable endoluminal element.
Specification