Patent ID: 7941212

Claim:
A method for local delivery of a drug, comprising the acts of: (a) implanting a medical device carrying a drug-containing coating in a patient for the sustained local delivery of the drug, the coating comprising a polymeric reservoir layer disposed on at least a portion of the medical device, a layer of a self-assembled structure of molecules of an organic or elemento-organic substance disposed over the reservoir layer, the reservoir layer comprising a polymer and the drug, wherein at least a portion of the self-assembled structure of the coating is transformed from crystalline structure to amorphous structure; and (b) applying an electric current for an interval of time to the medical device to increase the rate of release of the drug, wherein the self-assembled structure of the coating is further transformed from crystalline structure to amorphous structure; and (c) terminating the current after the interval of time, wherein at least a portion of the amorphous structure in the self-assembled structure of the coating is at least partially restored to crystalline structure; wherein the self-assembled structure of molecules of the organic or elemento-organic substance is bonded to the reservoir layer; and wherein the self-assembled structure is prepared from a compound which comprises a methylene-based chain and at least one reactive functional group.