Medical devices coated with diamond-like carbon
AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert Burgmeier, Daniel Horn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical device that has a sliding or peeling surface coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. The coating reduces sliding or peeling resistance. The coated substrates may be polymeric. The coating may be applied from a cold plasma of a hydrocarbon gas such as acetylene. Plasmas may be generated to deposit the coating on interior surfaces, exterior surfaces, or both.
Claims24
A medical device that has a sliding surface wherein the sliding surface is modified with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating.
A medical catheter, balloon, stent placement apparatus, endoscope or guide wire characterized in that it has a surface comprising a coating of diamond-like carbon (DLC).
A medical device for vascular access or surgery, the device comprising a tubular polymeric portion coated with a diamond hard coating (DLC).
A method of providing a medical device sliding surface with reduced sliding resistance, the method comprising coating the sliding surface with diamond-like carbon (DLC).
A method of treating a surface of a polymeric medical device substrate comprising:
- (a) enclosing the polymeric medical device substrate in a reaction chamber with the surface to be coated exposed to the environment of the reaction chamber;
- (b) evacuating the reaction chamber to a base level;
- (c) supplying a hydrocarbon DLC depositing gas to and establishing a selected hydrocarbon DLC depositing hydrocarbon gas pressure in the reaction chamber;
- and
- (d) igniting a cold plasma in the gas in the chamber and exposing the substrate surface to the plasma for a selected period of time sufficient to form a layer of DLC thereon.
A medical device that has surfaces that must be peeled from contact with another in normal use of the device, wherein at least one of said surfaces has a coating of diamond-like carbon (DLC) thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.