Patent ID: 7077860

Claim:
A method of reducing or eliminating a formation of a thrombus in a patient's vasculature, wherein the method comprises implanting a medical device in a patient's vasculature and allowing the medical device produced by the method comprising: depositing a coating devoid of heparin on the medical device that is implantable within a lumen of a vascular system; wherein, the lumen is defined by vessel walls; the medical device comprises surfaces capable of contacting the vessel walls and surfaces incapable of contacting the vessel walls upon implantation; the coating devoid of heparin comprises a material that deposits on the medical device and includes functional groups that attract heparin, bond with heparin, or a combination thereof, when the material is exposed to a solution comprising heparin; wherein, the depositing occurs exclusively on surfaces of the medical device that are incapable of contacting the vessel walls thus providing for delivery of heparin to a specific site in a patient and avoiding a toxic effect within the patient's vasculature; and exposing the medical device to heparinized blood such that heparin attaches to the coating exclusively on surfaces of the medical device that are incapable of contacting the vessel walls; to remain in the vasculature for a period of time during which the heparin attached to the coating can reduce or eliminate thrombus formation, after which period, the medical device is exposed to an additional dosage of heparin.