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US 5,766,158 AGranted
Medical apparatus with scratch-resistant coating and method of making same
AssigneeSurface Solutions Laboratories, Inc.
InventorMargaret Palmer Opolski
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSurface Solutions Laboratories, Inc.
InventorMargaret Palmer Opolski
Estimating the term…
A method for providing a medical apparatus with a protective surface coating is described. The method comprises applying to a medical apparatus a coating solution that contains a matrix polymer such as a urethane, and a reinforcing agent such as lamellar platelet and fiber additives, as micaceous pigments, flake pigments, tungsten powder and glass fiber, to increase the resistance of the medical apparatus to injury, such that the surface coating forms a protective, scratch- and puncture-resistant layer on the medical apparatus. The particles or fibers of the reinforcing agent may be oriented to provide the medical apparatus with additional resistance to injury. The coating is well suited to provide balloon catheters, particularly PET balloons, and the like with the toughness desirable for use in stent delivery and placement.
An insertable medical apparatus, having a protective surface coating, the coating comprising a matrix polymer containing a reinforcing agent, said reinforcing agent being lamellar, platelet, or fiber-like in structure and having a higher surface hardness than the surface hardness of the medical apparatus.
A medical apparatus adapted for use within a patient having a protective surface coating, the coating comprising a matrix polymer containing a reinforcing agent, said reinforcing agent having a higher surface hardness than the surface hardness of the medical apparatus, wherein the protective surface coating has a thickness in the range of about 0.1 mil to about 3 mil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.