Patent ID: 8244344

Claim:
A method for treating a blood vessel, the method comprising: inserting a balloon catheter to a target site in the blood vessel, the balloon catheter comprising a balloon and a coating layer overlying external surfaces of the balloon, wherein: the coating layer comprises a water-soluble first additive, a water-soluble second additive, and an initial drug load of a hydrophobic therapeutic agent; the coating layer does not include an iodine covalent-bonded contrast agent, a dye, an oil, or a lipid; the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of paclitaxel, paclitaxel analogues, rapamycin, rapamycin analogues, and combinations thereof; the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is not enclosed in micelles or liposomes and is not encapsulated in polymer particles; the water-soluble first additive is a surfactant selected from the group consisting of PEG sorbitan monolaurates, PEG sorbitan monooleates, and combinations thereof; the water-soluble second additive is a chemical compound having at least four hydroxyl groups, the chemical compound being selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, sorbitan, xylitol, gluconolactone, and combinations thereof, whereby the combination of the water-soluble first additive and the water-soluble second additive promotes rapid release of the hydrophobic therapeutic agent from the balloon at the target site during an inflation period; inflating the balloon until the coating layer contacts walls of the blood vessel at the target site; deflating the balloon after the inflation period, wherein the inflation period is from 0.1 minutes to 10 minutes; and withdrawing the balloon catheter from the blood vessel, the balloon having thereon a residual drug amount after the withdrawing.