Patents Examined by Jennifer Kolb Michener
  • Patent number: 6517888
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a medical device having a coated portion which comprises obtaining a structure having an inner surface and an outer surface; coating at least a portion of the inner or outer surface with a first coating material; and ablating the coated tubular structure with a laser to form at least one opening therein to form the coated portion. A plate can be used instead of the structure, and the plate is folded to form the structure after the ablation. A plurality of medical devices, made of any materials and having uniform coating(s), can be easily manufactured by the method of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Scimed Life Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jan Weber
  • Patent number: 6511701
    Abstract: A method of coating a polymer substrate with a dry composition comprising particles is provided. The particles have a Mohs hardness between 1 and 2.5 and preferably a largest dimension of less than 100 microns. The particles are buffed on the substrate with an applicator which moves in a manner parallel to the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Ranjith Divigalpitiya, Gabriella Miholics, David C. Chambers
  • Patent number: 6506453
    Abstract: Using a scan coating method, a liquid film is formed on a substrate having a temperature distribution for correcting a temperature distribution of a liquid film caused by the heat of evaporation due to the volatilization of a solvent contained in the liquid film, and then the solvent is removed from the liquid film to form a coating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Ema, Shinichi Ito
  • Patent number: 6503556
    Abstract: Methods of forming a coating onto an implantable device or endoluminal prosthesis, such as a stent, are provided. The coating may be used for the delivery of an active ingredient. The coating may have a selected pattern of interstices for allowing a fluid to seep through the coating in the direction of the pattern created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sameer Harish, Steven Wu, Deborra Sanders Millare, Judy Guruwaiya, Stephen Pacetti, Syed Faiyaz Ahmed Hossainy
  • Patent number: 6497916
    Abstract: An apparatus for coating tubular members, such as stents comprises a liquid reservoir and a stent support member for supporting, in use, a tubular member. Support member dipping means places the support member in the liquid reservoir in use and draws the support member therefrom. Pressure differential generating means generates a pressure differential. The stent support member is arranged to provide a central passageway through a stent placed thereon, the central passageway having a plurality of perforations formed therein, and the pressure differential generating means is arranged to generate, in use, a pressure differential between the passageway and the tubular member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Biocompatibles Limited
    Inventors: Alistair Stewart Taylor, Lee Alan Tollhurst, Donal Thomas Hempensall
  • Patent number: 6495201
    Abstract: A process for the multi-layer repair coating of substrates, wherein a base coat layer of a water-based base coat coating composition is applied to a precoated substrate and a clear coat layer of a transparent clear coat coating composition is applied to the base coat layer thus obtained, characterised in that the base coat layer of the colour- and/or special effect-imparting water-based base coat coating composition is applied in three successive spray passes, and each spray pass is executed such that uniform, adjacent and substantially non-overlapping coating strips are applied to the substrate surface to be coated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Andrew Duda, Guenter Berschel, Wolfgang Feyrer
  • Patent number: 6485776
    Abstract: The method of making a tubular member having a continuous and uninterrupted cured elastomeric resin coating on an outer surface of the member includes forming a continuous uninterrupted tubular layer of uncured elastomeric resin and drawing the resin layer against the surface of the tubular member to be coated by applying suction between the resin layer and the surface of the tubular member so that the resin adheres to the surface of the tubular member. The elastomeric resin may then be continuously heated and cured to produce the final product. Apparatus for carrying out the process is disclosed and includes, in sequence, a coating zone including a sub-atmospheric chamber, a heating zone and a feed mechanism for advancing the tubular member relative to the coating and heating zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Ossur hf
    Inventors: Hilmar Janusson, Freygarour Thorsteinsson, Sigurour A. Asgeirsson, Palmi Einarsson
  • Patent number: 6472030
    Abstract: A method of forming an oriented film. A target is provided and material from the target is ablated onto a substrate to form a film. The film is heated in a synthesis gel of the target material to orient the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Balkus, Jr., Mary E. Kinsel, Lisa L. Washmon
  • Patent number: 6465040
    Abstract: A method is provided for refurbishing a service operated metallic coating on a substrate alloy, the coating including at least within a coating outer surface at least one oxide chemically grown from at least one coating element, for example Al, and chemically bonded with the coating outer surface as a result of thermal exposure during service operation. Growth of the oxide has depleted at least a portion of the coating element from the coating. The method comprises removing the oxide from the coating outer surface while substantially retaining the metallic coating, thereby exposing in the coating outer surface at least one surface void that had been occupied by the oxide. The retained metallic coating is mechanically worked, substantially without removal of the retained coating, to close the void, providing a treated metallic coating surface over which a refurbishing coating is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bhupendra Kumar Gupta, Nripendra Nath Das, Lyle Timothy Rasch, Jeffrey Allen Conner, Michael James Weimer
  • Patent number: 6461666
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radioactive balloon for angioplasty which is combined with a flexible film containing radionuclides and process for preparation thereof. A balloon dilatation catheter system containing the radioactive balloon can be used in transluminal coronary angioplasty, expanding blood vessel and facilitating the blood flow so as to prevent the proliferation of smooth muscle cell and vascular restenosis efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
    Inventor: Kyung Bae Park
  • Patent number: 6461671
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for coating a moving paper web, in which the web to be coated is first guided to a coating station correctly aligned and a first side of the web is coated with a coat layer. Next, the web is guided upwards from the coating station and the first coat layer is dried using non-contact dryers. From the dryers the web is guided to the next coating station correctly aligned, and the second side of the web is coated with a coat layer, the web is guided upwards from the coating station and the coat layer on the second side of the web is dried using non-contact dryers. When the web is directed from the coating station through the dryers, it is guided non-contactingly by means of air jets such that the web is first non-contactingly turned in the machine direction during drying and next, similarly during drying, towards the level of the coating stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Valmet Corporation
    Inventors: Jorma Kinnune, Vilho Nissinen
  • Patent number: 6461665
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing surface modifications having an improved antithrombogenic activity, whereby the improvement is achieved by treating heparin at a temperature above 40° C. or a pH in the rage of 9-14 or in contact with nucleophilic catalysts before attaching said heparin to the surface to be modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Carmeda AB
    Inventor: Elisabeth Scholander
  • Patent number: 6451373
    Abstract: A method of coating an implantable prosthesis by applying a composition including a therapeutic substance and a fluid to the prosthesis and removing the fluid is disclosed. The fluid is not capable of significantly dissolving the therapeutic substance. A second fluid in which the therapeutic substance is soluble may be further included in the composition. Methods of providing the composition and a roughened polymeric primer layer are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Syed F. A. Hossainy, Debbie Sanders-Millare, Steven Z. Wu
  • Patent number: 6447835
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing a coated hollow polymeric tubular member useful in medical devices. The method involves a simple, unique method of simultaneously extruding and coating the polymeric tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: SciMed Life Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Lixiao Wang, Yiqun Wang, Dachuan Yang
  • Patent number: 6443942
    Abstract: The present invention provides medical devices such as medication infusion pumps having internal surfaces that are treated to inhibit protein denaturation. In accordance with the invention, hydrophilic internal surfaces and related coating methods are provided to reduce or eliminate accumulation of medication deposits which can otherwise occur when handling complex protein-based medications. Preferred hydrophilic pump surfaces include hydrophilic surfactants (PEO) or (PEG) coatings which exhibit very low protein adsorption characteristics. Several methods are disclosed for producing such treated surfaces including the covalent attachment of hydrophilic surfactants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: William Peter Van Antwerp, Poonam S. Gulati, Gerald E. Adomian
  • Patent number: 6444254
    Abstract: Functionalized polymer surfaces having reactive moieties thereon are contacted with stamps having ligands adsorbed thereto, the ligands also comprising reactive moieties. The reactive moieties of the functionalized surfaces and the ligands form covalent bonds, thus providing a method of microstamping polymer surfaces directly with ligands such as biological ligands. Using this method, devices such as tissue culture plates with polymer surfaces that are microstamped directly with ligands can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Ashutosh Chilkoti, Zhongping Yang
  • Patent number: 6440489
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bacteriostatic dehumidifying element that includes additives which inhibit the growth of microorganisms. The dehumidifying element is produced by a method that comprises the steps of: a) providing a piece of paper, such as facing paper and/or fluted paper; b) immersing the paper in a highly concentrated waterglass solution at a temperature c) in the range of 45-95° C., where said highly concentrated waterglass solution has a viscosity of at least 350 mPa·s at a temperature of 45° C.; d) cooling the immersed paper with air at a temperature of at highest 35° C., aid preferably at highest 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Proflute AB
    Inventor: Per-Johan Aronsson
  • Patent number: 6440487
    Abstract: A radioactive transition metal stent, comprising one or more transition metals, wherein the transition metal stent surface is chemically bound to a radioactive material; and a method for producing the radioactive transition metal stent wherein the radioisotope is chemically bound to, and is uniformly confined to the transition metal stent surface without affecting the metallurgical properties of the transition metal stent is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: MoBeta, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelangelo Delfino, Mary Elizabeth Day
  • Patent number: 6436468
    Abstract: The present invention provides a repair coating process, the repair coating process consisting of grinding the part of an intermediate coating surface to be repaired and then performing a repair coating of the ground part with a thermo-curable organic solvent type repair paint (F) containing a neutralized product of a hydroxyl group-containing resin having an acid value of 5-100 mgKOH/g and a crosslinking agent in forming multilayer coating films by coating an electro-deposition paint (A) and an intermediate paint (B) and curing them by heating, then, after performing a repair coating on the intermediate coating surface, successively coating wet-on-wet a white water base coat (C), a pearly base coat (D), and a clear coat (E), and then curing by crosslinking the films of the above-mentioned coats (C), (D), and (E) simultaneously through heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Kansai Paint Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takanobu Iizuka
  • Patent number: 6423411
    Abstract: A method of coating a substrate with an oriented film. A target is ablated to create a plume. The substrate is manipulated, which may be by vibration, in the plume to coat the substrate with a film. The film is heated in a synthesis gel of the target to form the oriented film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Kenneth J Balkus, Jr., Mary E Kinsel, Ashley S Scott