Patent ID: 7247338

Claim:
A method of coating at least a portion of a medical device, the method comprising: providing a medical device in a defined volume, wherein the medical device comprises at least one surface; providing a plurality of monodisperse coating particles by electrospray in the defined volume, wherein the plurality of monodisperse coating particles have a nominal diameter of less than 10 micrometers and a geometrical standard deviation of less than 1.2, wherein providing the plurality of monodisperse coating particles comprises providing an electrical charge on the plurality of monodisperse coating particles, and further wherein providing the plurality of monodisperse coating particles comprises: providing one or more nozzle structures, wherein each of the nozzle structures comprises at least a first and second opening terminating at the dispensing end of each nozzle structure from which a plurality of monodisperse coating particles having an electrical charge applied thereto is dispensed, and further wherein the method comprises providing a first flow of a first liquid composition at the first opening and providing a second flow of a second liquid composition at the second opening, and dispensing the plurality of monodisperse coating particles from each nozzle structure by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the dispensing ends from which the plurality of monodisperse coating particles are dispensed and the medical device; and moving a plurality of the coating particles towards the at least one surface of the medical device to form a coating thereon.