Coating medical devices

A method of coating at least a portion of a medical device, the method comprising:

• providing a medical device in a defined volume, wherein the medical device comprises at least one surface;
• providing one or more nozzle structures, wherein each nozzle structure comprises at least a first and second opening terminating at the dispensing end of each nozzle structure, and wherein the method further comprises:
• providing a first flow of a first liquid composition at the first opening, and
• providing a second flow of a second liquid composition at the second opening;
• providing a plurality of coating particles in the defined volume, wherein providing the plurality of coating particles comprises dispensing a plurality of microdroplets having an electrical charge associated therewith from the dispensing ends of the one or more nozzle structures by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the dispensing ends and the medical device, wherein each of the microdroplets comprises at least a particle, and further wherein the electrical charge is concentrated on the particle as the microdroplet evaporates;
• and
• moving the plurality of coating particles towards the medical device to form a coating on the at least one surface of the medical device using the nonuniform electrical field created between the dispensing ends from which the plurality of coating particles is established and the medical device.

A method of coating a stent structure, the method comprising:

• providing a stent structure in a defined volume along a stent axis, wherein the stent structure comprises at least an interior surface adjacent a defined interior volume and at least an exterior surface;
• coating at least a portion of the interior surface of the stent structure adjacent the defined interior volume using at least a plurality of first coating particles, wherein coating at least a portion of the interior surface of the stent structure adjacent the defined interior volume using at least a plurality of first coating particles comprises:
• providing one or more nozzle structures, wherein each nozzle structure comprises at least one opening terminating at a dispensing end, wherein at least one nozzle structure has at least one opening at the dispensing end thereof located within the defined interior volume of the stent structure;
• providing a plurality of first coating particles in the interior defined volume, wherein providing the plurality of first coating particles comprises dispensing a plurality of microdroplets having an electrical charge associated therewith from the dispensing end of the at least one nozzle structure by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the dispensing end and the stent structure, wherein each of the microdroplets comprises at least a particle, and further wherein the electrical charge is concentrated on the particle as the microdroplet evaporates;
• and
• moving the plurality of first coating particles towards the interior surface to form a coating thereon using the nonuniform electrical field created between the dispensing end and the stent structure;
• and
• coating at least a portion of the exterior surface of the stent structure using at least a plurality of second coating particles, wherein the plurality of first coating particles is different than the plurality of second coating particles.

A method of coating a stent structure, the method comprising:

• providing a stent structure in a defined volume along a stent axis, wherein the stent structure comprises at least an interior surface adjacent a defined interior volume and at least an exterior surface;
• coating at least a portion of the interior surface of the stent structure adjacent the defined interior volume using at least a plurality of first coating particles;
• and
• coating at least a portion of the exterior surface of the stent structure using at least a plurality of second coating particles, wherein the plurality of first coating particles is different than the plurality of second coating particles, wherein coating at least a portion of the exterior surface of the stent structure using at least a plurality of second coating particles comprises:
• providing one or more nozzle structures, wherein each nozzle structure comprises at least a first and second opening terminating at the dispensing end of each nozzle structure, and wherein the method further comprises;
• providing a first flow of a first liquid composition at the first opening, and
• providing a second flow of a second liquid composition at the second opening;
• providing a plurality of second coating particles in the defined volume, wherein providing the plurality of second coating particles comprises dispensing a plurality of microdroplets having an electrical charge associated therewith from the dispensing ends of the one or more nozzle structures by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the dispensing ends and the stent structure, wherein each of the microdroplets comprises at least a particle, and further wherein the electrical charge is concentrated on the particle as the microdroplet evaporates;
• and
• moving the plurality of second coating particles towards the medical device to form a coating on the at least one surface of the medical device using the nonuniform electrical field created between the dispensing ends from which the plurality of coating particles is established and the medical device.