Medical articles having regions with polyelectrolyte multilayer coatings for regulating drug release

A medical article comprising:

• (a) a ceramic region whose surface comprises a plurality of depressions;
• (b) a biodisintegrable polyelectrolyte multilayer coating region comprising multiple polyelectrolyte layers deposited over said surface wherein each layer has a net charge opposite in sign from the adjacent layers;
• and (c) a therapeutic agent disposed beneath or within said multilayer coating region.

A medical article comprising:

• (a) a metallic region whose surface comprises a plurality of depressions;
• (b) a biodisintegrable polyelectrolyte multilayer coating region comprising multiple polyelectrolyte layers deposited over said surface, wherein each layer has a net charge opposite in sign from the adjacent layers;
• and (c) a therapeutic agent disposed beneath or within said multilayer coating region, wherein said depressions are through-holes.

A medical article comprising:

• (a) a ceramic or metallic region whose surface comprises a plurality of depressions;
• (b) a multilayer coating region comprising multiple polyelectrolyte layers deposited over said surface;
• and (c) a therapeutic agent disposed beneath or within said multilayer coating region, wherein said multilayer coating further comprises metal or metal oxide nanoparticles.

A method of making a medical article that comprises:

• (a) a ceramic or metallic region whose surface comprises a plurality of depressions;
• (b) a multilayer coating region comprising 3 or more polyelectrolyte layers deposited over said surface wherein each polyelectrolyte layer has a net charge opposite in sign from the adjacent layers;
• and (c) a therapeutic agent disposed beneath or within said multilayer coating region, said method comprising (a) inserting a disintegrable material into said depressions to form filled depressions, (b) depositing said polyelectrolyte layers over the filled depressions by a method comprising depositing a first polyelectrolyte layer having a first net charge over the substrate, depositing a second polyelectrolyte layer having a second net charge that is opposite in sign to the first net charge over the first polyelectrolyte layer, and depositing additional polyelectrolyte layers, each having a net charge that is opposite in sign to the preceding layer, (c) subsequently removing the disintegrable material from the depressions and (d) subsequently introducing said therapeutic agent into the depressions.