Method and device for coating catheters or balloon catheters
AssigneeDot GmbH
InventorsHans-Georg Neumann, Mischa Buhrmeister
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for coating catheters or balloon catheters is disclosed in which the catheter or balloon catheter is radially surrounded completely or almost completely at a constant distance by a device that applies a coating solution so that the coating solution completely fills the space between the catheter or balloon catheter and the device and thus completely surrounds the catheter or balloon catheter, relative motion is effected between the device and the catheter or balloon catheter in the axial direction across the surface of the catheter or balloon catheter multiple times, and partial drying of the applied coating solution occurs between the individual coating stages.
Claims17
A method of coating a catheter or a balloon catheter, comprising:
- a. surrounding the circumference of the catheter or balloon catheter completely or substantially with a device for applying a coating solution to the catheter or balloon catheter, the catheter or balloon catheter and the device being so arranged that there is a uniform radial space between the catheter or balloon catheter and the device;
- b. by means of the applying device filling the coating solution into the space;
- c. imparting relative axial motion to the applying device and the catheter or balloon catheter so that the catheter or balloon catheter is traversed by the applying means a plurality of times while the coating solution is fed into the space and onto the surfaces of the catheter or balloon catheter so that the coating is applied stagewise;
- d. predetermining intervals between stages so that coating applied in each stage only partially dries before the next stage;
- and
- e. after a final coating stage, completely drying the coating.
Apparatus for coating a catheter or balloon catheter, comprising a device for applying a coating solution to the catheter or balloon catheter, the applying device comprising a conduit for completely or substantially surrounding the circumference of the catheter or balloon catheter and conducting the coating solution onto the catheter or balloon catheter as a coating;
- support devices for supporting the catheter or balloon catheter concentrically within the applying device, the applying device and the catheter or balloon catheter being movable back and forth repeatedly relative to each other in directions of a common axis of the catheter or balloon catheter and the applying device for thereby coating the catheter or balloon catheter in stages;
- means for heating coating on the catheter or balloon catheter for partial or complete drying of coating applied as an initial or intermediate stage of coating or as a final stage of coating, respectively;
- and means for directing flows of hot gas to ends of the catheter or balloon catheter during application of the coating solution thereby to prevent formation of accumulation or drops of the coating solution at the ends of the catheter or balloon catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.