Patent ID: 7122356

Claim:
A method of forming a crosslinked coating on a surface of a medical device, the coating imparting improved biocompatibility characteristics to the surface, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing the medical device, the device having a suitable biomaterial forming the surface, the biomaterial comprising unsubstituted amide moieties; (b) combining the amide moieties with an amine forming agent to form amine moieties; (c) providing two or more biomolecules, the biomolecules comprising an amine moiety and a 1,2-dihydroxy moiety, combining a periodate with the biomolecules to oxidize the 1,2-dihydroxy moieties to form aldehyde moieties; (d) combining the biomolecules with the surface; (e) allowing the aldehyde moieties to combine with the amine moieties to form imine moieties; and (f) reacting the imine moieties with a reducing agent to form amine linkages, the amine linkages immobilizing and crosslinking the biomolecules on the surface, the immobilized and crosslinked biomolecules forming the coating.