Novel, lubricious coatings for medical devices are disclosed. The coatings provide improved lubricity and durability and are readily applied in coating processes a low temperatures that do not deform the device. The present invention is also directed to a novel platinum catalyst for use in such coatings. The catalyst provides for rapid curing, while inhibiting cross-linking at ambient temperatures, thereby improving the production pot life of the coatings.

A plurality of structural layers having different properties are nested together to form the medical balloon. Certain embodiments include at least one layer comprising a fiber-reinforced polymer. The layers of the balloons can slide relative to one another in use. A structural layer may comprise metal reinforcing fibers suspended in a polymer matrix.

A medical device for cooperating with a body surface of a patient includes an elastically deformable substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of pores extending from the first surface towards the second surface to define a plurality of spaced-apart projections. A lubricant is provided in the pores. Applying a compressive force to the substrate with the body surface elastically deforms the projections to displace the lubricant out of the pores and provide hydrodynamic lubrication between the medical device and the body surface.

An article having a low friction surface containing an oligofluorinated additive admixed with a base polymer is disclosed.

Lubricious coatings for medical devices and their uses are described.

A surgical staple comprising a substrate and one or more coatings which delay the bioabsorption of the substrate. The coating can be selected so as to affect the environment surrounding the staple once the staple is implanted in the patient. The effect on the environment can cause the bioabsorption to occur within a desired time frame.

A staple cartridge assembly includes a cartridge body with a deck, a longitudinal slot defined in the deck, and staple cavities defined in the deck. The staple cartridge assembly includes staples removably stored in the staple cavities, wherein the staples are deployable from the staple cavities into tissue of a patient, and wherein the staples comprise substrates comprised of metal that degrades when exposed to a degradation source in the patient. The staple cartridge assembly includes an implantable adjunct, wherein the staples are configured to hold the implantable adjunct to the tissue, and wherein the implantable adjunct is configured to delay an initiation of the degradation of regions of the metal in contact with the implantable adjunct in the patient, and wherein the implantable adjunct is configured to modify a local environment surrounding the staples to control a degradation rate of the staples after the initial delay.

A staple cartridge comprising staples that are lubricated before they are loaded into the staple cartridge and after they have been loaded into the staple cartridge is disclosed.

Staple cartridges including bioabsorbable staples are disclosed. The staples are configured such that they are bioabsorbable within a desired time frame.

Staple systems and methods for implementing the staple systems are disclosed.