Various implantable medical devices are advantageously inserted within various body vessels, for example to improve blood flow through a restricted or weakened vessel. Minimally invasive techniques and instruments for placement of intraluminal medical devices have been developed to treat and repair undesirable conditions within body vessels. Various percutaneous methods of implanting medical devices within the body using intraluminal transcatheter delivery systems can be used to treat a variety of conditions. One or more intraluminal medical devices can be introduced to a point of treatment within a body vessel using a delivery catheter device passed through the vasculature communicating between a remote introductory location and the implantation site, and released from the delivery catheter device at the point of treatment within the body vessel. Intraluminal medical devices can be deployed in a body vessel at a point of treatment and the delivery device subsequently withdrawn from the vessel, while the medical device retained within the vessel to provide sustained improvement in blood flow or to increase vessel patency.
Implantable medical devices are effective for minimally invasive treatment of vascular occlusions such as atherosclerosis and restenosis and treatment of weakened or diseased vessels. Such implantable medical devices reestablish a flow lumen, reinforces the weakened vessel, and prevents occlusion or stenosis.
Coatings are often applied to the implantable medical device to improve the biocompatibility of the device and minimize or prevent occlusion of the device. Methods of coating the abluminal surface of a tubular medical device are known. U.S. published patent application No. 2005/0233061 A1 describes a method and apparatus for coating a medical device using a coating head. In one embodiment a slide coating is applied to the abluminal surface of a medical device. U.S. published patent application No. 2005/0196518 A1 describes a method of coating a medical device by substantially simultaneously applying a coating composition and partially drying the coating composition. U.S. published patent publication No. 2005/0147734 A1 describes a method for application of therapeutic and protect coatings to the abluminal tubular medical devices by placing the medical device on a core and passing it through an extrusion coating machine.
Inhibiting or preventing thrombosis and platelet deposition on an implantable device within the body is important in promoting continued function of the medical device within the body, particularly within blood vessels. Post-implantation thrombosis and platelet deposition on surfaces of implantable medical devices prosthesis undesirably reduce the patency rate of many implantable medical devices. For example, thrombosis and platelet deposition within an endovascular prosthesis may occlude the conduit defined by the endovascular prosthesis or compromise the function of an implanted valve by limiting the motion or responsiveness of moveable portions of the device such as valve leaflets. Many factors contribute to thrombosis and platelet deposition on the surfaces of implanted prosthesis. The properties of the material or materials forming the endovascular prosthesis are believed to be one important factor that can contribute to the likelihood of undesirable levels of post-implantation thrombus formation or platelet deposition on the implanted device. The formation of blood clots, or thrombus, on the surface of an endovascular prosthesis can both degrade the intended performance of the prosthesis and even undesirably restrict or occlude desirable fluid flow within a body vessel. Coatings may be used to prevent occlusion of the implantable medical device. A non-thrombogenic coating may be used to minimize thrombosis on the blood contact surface of the device.
Non-thrombogenic coatings are preferably applied to the luminal surface of the medical device. U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,298 describes a method of forming a medical device comprising applying a polymer coating to a mandrel and constructing the remainder of the medical device around the polymer coated mandrel. What is needed are improved methods for coating medical devices on the luminal and/or abluminal surface. Methods for coating luminal surfaces are useful forming a non-thromobogenic blood contact surface on the medical device.