MEDICAL DEVICES HAVING SUPERHYDROPHOBIC SURFACES,SUPERHYDROPHILIC SURFACES, OR BOTH

摘要

According to an aspect of the invention, medical devices are provided, which have the following (a) one or more superhydrophobic surface regions, (b) one or more superhydrophilic surface regions having a durometer of at least 4OA, or (c) a combination of one or more superhydrophobic surface regions and one or more superhydrophilic surface regions having a durometer of at least 4OA. Such surfaces are created, for example, to provide reduced resistance to the movement of adjacent materials, including adjacent fluids and solids. Examples of medical device surface regions benefiting from the present invention include, for example, outside and/or inside (luminal) surfaces of the following: vascular catheters, urinary catheters, hydrolyser catheters, guide wires, pullback sheaths, left ventricular assist devices, endoscopes, airway tubes and injection needles, among many other devices.