Compositions And Methods For Coating Implant Surfaces To Inhibit Surgical Infections

An infection-inhibiting delivery system for application of an anti-infective coating to a surface of an implantable medical device, comprising:

• a) an infection-inhibiting composition having a waxy matrix comprising an infection-inhibiting material selected from the group consisting of a lipid, an antimicrobial agent, and mixtures thereof, wherein the composition comprises a predominantly unsaturated lipid selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, triacylglyerols, diacylglycerols, glycerophospholipids, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• b) an applicator containing the infection-inhibiting composition;
• wherein the waxy carrier has a viscosity that renders the composition operable to transfer the infection-inhibiting material from the composition to onto the surface of the implantable medical device when rubbed on the surface of the device using the applicator.

An infection-inhibiting delivery system for application of an anti-infective coating to a surface of an implantable medical device, comprising:

• a) an infection-inhibiting composition comprising (i) from about 0.1% to about 35% by weight of an antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides, synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides, disinfectants, and antimicrobial metal ions, epsilon polylysine, sugar alcohols, essential oils, and mixtures thereof, and (ii) a waxy matrix comprising an amphipathic, unsaturated lipid;
• and
• b) an applicator containing the infection-inhibiting composition;
• wherein the waxy carrier has a cone penetration test hardness of at least 1.5 lbf and is operable to deposit the infection-inhibiting material when rubbed on a surface of the device using the applicator.