Methods for coating invasive devices with inhibitors of thrombin

A method for coating the surface of an invasive device to be inserted into a patient, said method comprising the step of contacting said surface with a composition wherein said composition comprises

• a) a thrombin inhibitor consisting of
• i. a catalytic site-directed moiety that binds to and inhibits the active site of thrombin wherein said catalytic site-directed moiety is selected from general serine proteinase inhibitors, heterocyclic protease inhibitors, thrombin-specific inhibitors, transition state analogues, benzamidine, DAPA, NAPAP, argipidine, or moieties of the formulae:
• X-A.sub.1 -A.sub.2 -A.sub.3 Y or X-C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 -A.sub.3 Y,
• wherein X is hydrogen or is characterized by a backbone chain consisting of from 1 to 35 atoms;
• A.sub.1 is Arg, Lys or Orn;
• A.sub.2 is a non-amide bond;
• A.sub.3 is characterized by a backbone chain consisting of from 1 to 9 atoms;
• Y is a bond;
• C.sub.1 is a derivative of Arg, Lys or Orn comprising a carboxylate moiety that is reduced, or displaced from the .alpha.-carbon by a structure characterized by a backbone chain of from 1 to 10 atoms;
• and C.sub.2 is a non-cleavable bond;
• ii. a linker moiety characterized by a backbone chain having a calculated length of between 18 .ANG. and 42 .ANG.;
• and
• iii. an anion binding exosite associating moiety;
• said catalytic site-directed moiety being bound to said linked moiety and said linker moiety being bound to said anion binding exosite moiety;
• and
• b) a buffer suitable to promote the binding of said thrombin inhibitor to said invasive device.