Methods and apparatuses for coating balloon catheters

An apparatus for dispensing a coating solution onto a surface of a balloon of a balloon catheter, the balloon catheter having a longitudinal axis that defines a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis, the apparatus comprising:

• a metering dispenser connected to a dispensing tip that dispenses the coating solution onto the surface of the balloon by contact or non-contact;
• a coating solution storage container that supplies the coating solution to the metering dispenser;
• a movement assembly that rotates the balloon catheter about the longitudinal axis and translocates the balloon catheter, the dispensing tip, or both back and forth in the longitudinal direction;
• and
• a controller that coordinates the dispensing of the coating solution through the metering dispenser with the rotation and translocation of the balloon catheter by the movement assembly,
• wherein:
• the dispensing tip comprises a hub portion connected to the metering dispenser and a tip portion connected to the hub portion;
• the tip portion comprises a tip opening through which the coating solution is dispensed;
• and
• the dispensing tip further comprises a flexible tail connected to the tip portion, such that coating solution flows from the tip opening along the flexible tail to the surface of the balloon.