PROTECTIVE SURFACES FOR DRUG-COATED MEDICAL DEVICES

摘要

Medical balloons (14) having one or more folds (16), on which are disposed protective surfaces (11,13) e.g. protective lines or strips and at least one therapeutic agent (15,17) between the lines. The protective surfaces prevent, inhibit, or reduce the contact between therapeutic agent on one area, e.g., a surface area, and an opposing area or therapeutic agent on the opposing area when the balloon is folded, relative to the contact that would occur in the absence of protective surfaces. The protective surfaces also prevent, inhibit, or reduce loss of therapeutic agent from the balloon surface as a result of, for example, contact with a medical device during expansion or removal of a protective sheath. Also a medical device delivery system comprising a medical device surrounded by a retractable sheath (22,41), wherein protective surfaces, e.g. lines are disposed on the sheath such that, during retraction of the sheath, the protective surfaces (27,43) on the moving part of the sheath slide against the protective surfaces on the stationary part of the sheath, resulting in less friction than would be produced in the absence of the protective surfaces.