A medical device for insertion or implantation in a body includes a polymer substrate and a layer of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone-alt-maleic anhydride) formed on a surface of the polymer substrate. Polymer chains of the poly(vinyl pyrrolidone-alt-maleic anhydride) are entangled with the polymer substrate.

A medical device including a lubricating coating film (surface lubricating layer) that exerts excellent lubricity and durability is provided. The medical device includes, on a base layer, a surface lubricating layer formed from a block copolymer having a hydrophilic portion and a hydrophobic portion that has a reactive functional group. The ratio of the hydrophobic portion of the block copolymer in an outermost surface of the surface lubricating layer is 20 to 45 mol %, and the viscosity of a 1 wt % chloroform solution of the block copolymer at a temperature of 30° C. is 8 to 30 mPa.Math.s.

Provided are methods for surface-modifying a tubular object of a rubber vulcanizate or a thermoplastic elastomer. The methods allow these objects to have at least a lubricating inner surface layer chemically fixed thereon, instead of having a resin coating which has drawbacks such as reduction in lubricity due to e.g. separation or peeling of the coating during movement within a vessel or tract. Included is a method for surface-modifying a tubular object made of a rubber vulcanizate or a thermoplastic elastomer whose side wall may have an opening, the method including: step 1 of forming polymerization initiation points on at least the outer surface of the object; and step 2 of irradiating the outer surface of the object with ultraviolet light of 300-400 nm to radically polymerize a monomer using radicals generated from the polymerization initiation points to grow polymer chains on at least the inner surface of the object.

A medical needle may include a lumen coating configured to reduce surface energy of the lumen-facing/lumen defining surface, in a manner effective to slow and/or reduce coagulation of biomaterial (particularly blood) that contacts the needle lumen surface. Such a coating may include a hydrophobic coating such as a silane and/or siloxane material on at least the needle lumen surface. The coating reduces a surface energy of coated needle regions below the surface energy of uncoated regions, and particularly reduces the polar component of the surface energy in the coated needle regions. The needle may be a metallic biopsy needle with the coating comprised by at least a distalmost length of sample-collection lumen.

Embodiments of the disclosure include lubricious coatings. In an embodiment the disclosure includes a lubricious coating for a medical device including an acrylic acid polymer, an acrylamide copolymer comprising at least one photoreactive group, and a cross-linking agent comprising at least two photoreactive groups. The coating can be used on a catheter surface to facilitate its movement in the body.

Embodiments herein include delivery systems for active agent coated balloons and related methods. In an embodiment, a delivery system can include a tunneling sheath and a balloon catheter. The tunneling sheath can include a tubular shaft having an outer diameter and defining a lumen. The tunneling sheath can include a proximal collar defining a lumen. The balloon catheter can include a balloon catheter shaft disposed within the tubular shaft. The balloon catheter shaft can include a lumen for the passage of a fluid therein. The balloon catheter can include an expandable balloon disposed on the balloon catheter shaft. The balloon catheter shaft can include an active agent layer disposed on the expandable balloon. The position of the expandable balloon can be configured to be stationary relative to the tubular shaft as the delivery system is passed through a blood vessel of a patient. Other embodiments are also included herein.

A medical device includes a layer made of an acidic polymer and a basic polymer formed on at least a part of a surface of a water-containing base material, wherein at least one kind of an acidic polymer and a basic polymer forming the acidic polymer or the basic polymer is a polymer having a hydroxy group.

Devices and methods are provided for performing a medical procedure using a trans-septal approach. The device includes a dilator including a proximal end, a distal end terminating in a distal tip, and a lumen extending between the dilator proximal and distal ends, and a needle device including a proximal end, a distal end sized for introduction into the dilator lumen and terminating in a sharpened distal tip. The needle is movable relative to the dilator to selectively expose the needle device distal tip distally from the dilator lumen and advance the dilator relative to the needle device. The dilator may have a complex tapered shape on its distal tip, e.g., including first and second tapered regions. The needle device may include an inner needle including the sharpened distal tip and an outer tube including a substantially blunt distal end that slidably receives the inner needle.

A medical device such as a catheter may have an elongate shaft that includes a hypotube having a cut formed therein. The elongate shaft may define a lumen that extends within the elongate shaft. A polymer may be disposed over at least a portion of the hypotube. A medical device may include a cut hypotube having a constant pitch and may be configured to reversibly and temporarily alter the pitch of at least a portion of the cut hypotube. In some cases, the medical device may be configured to reversibly and/or temporarily alter a compressive strength of at least a portion of the cut hypotube.

An orthopedic surgical instrument includes from about 40 wt % to about 85 wt % of a base thermoplastic and from about 15 wt % to about 60 wt % of a filler material. The base thermoplastic includes polyetherimide, polycarbonate, modified polyphenylene ether, polyamide, copolymers of these thermoplastics, and combinations thereof. In some aspects all materials in the orthopedic surgical instrument are biocompatible. An orthopedic surgical kit includes an orthopedic surgical instrument and a container suitable for sealing the orthopedic surgical instrument therein. The orthopedic surgical instrument in the kit includes from about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % of a base thermoplastic selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide, polycarbonate, modified polyphenylene ether, polyamide, copolymers of these thermoplastics, and combinations thereof, and from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % of a filler material.