Characterization of Pebax angioplasty balloon surfaces with AFM, SEM, TEM, and SAXS.

In the medical device industry, angioplasty balloons have been widely used in the less invasive treatment of heart disease by expanding and relieving clogged structures in various arterial segments. However, new applications using thin coatings on the balloon surface have been explored to enhance therapeutic value in the delivery of pharmaceuticals (drug-elution) or control thermal energy output (RF ablation). In this study, angioplasty balloon materials comprised of poly(ether-block-amide) (Pebax) were investigated via atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to characterize physical properties at the balloon surface that may affect coating adhesion.

Cryogenic electron microscopy study of nanoemulsion formation from microemulsions.

We examine a process of preparing oil-in-water nanoemulsions by quenching (diluting and cooling) precursor microemulsions made with nonionic surfactants and a cosurfactant. The precursor microemulsion structure is varied by changing the concentration of the cosurfactant. Water-continuous microemulsions produce initial nanoemulsion structures that are small and simple, mostly unilamellar vesicles, but microemulsions that are not water-continuous produce initial nanoemulsion structures that are larger and multilamellar.

Strain-induced crack formations in PDMS/DXA drug collars.

Drug-eluting systems are currently used in cardiac leads in order to reduce inflammation and fibrosis at the lead-tissue interface. Drug release from these drug delivery systems can be modulated by the manufacturing processes used to create the drug systems and assemble them onto the cardiac lead. In this study, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Raman microscopy are employed to explore the material characteristics of a polydimethylsiloxane-dexamethasone acetate drug collar used on cardiac leads when varying the strain during collar assembly on the lead.

Drug-eluting stent coatings.

This paper reviews the development of coronary stents from a polymer scientist's view point, and presents the first results of an interdisciplinary team assembled for the development of new stent systems. Poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) block copolymer (SIBS), a nanostructured thermoplastic elastomer, is used in clinical practice as the drug-eluting polymeric coating on the Taxus coronary stent (trademark of Boston Scientific Co.).

Effect of the coating morphology on the drug release from engineered drug-polymer nanocomposites.

The ElectroNanospray process (Nanocopoeia, Inc) transforms drugs and polymers into many nanoscale material states including powders, liquids, encapsulated particles, and coatings. This enabling technology platform allows application of polymers and drugs to the surface of medical devices such as coronary stents in a single-stage process. Modification of ElectroNanospray process parameters resulted in surface coatings with rich morphologies ranging in appearance from smooth and heterogeneous to highly porous and rough (open matrix).