| abstract |
The lubricious hydrophilic coatings of the invention are significantly more lubricious when wet than when dry, are adherent to a variety of substrates, and are resistant to removal by wet abrasion. In one embodiment, the coatings include a hydrophilic polyolefin such as polyvinyl-pyrrolidone and a water-insoluble stabilizing polymer such as a cellulose ester. The coatings may also include an adherent polymer and a plasticizing agent. The coating may be applied by preparing a solution of the stabilizing polymer and a solution of the hydrophilic polyolefin, and coating the substrate first in one then the other. Alternatively, both the stabilizing and hydrophilic polymers may be dissolved in a single solvent system and applied to the substrate in a single step. In another embodiment, only a solution of a hydrophilic polyolefin is applied directly to the substrate. In this embodiment, the solution of the hydrophilic polyolefin includes a cosolvent which acts as a solvent for both the hydrophilic polyolefin and the substrate. The coatings of the invention may be applied to biomedical devices and implants such as catheters, condoms, and nasogastric and endotracheal tubes. |