Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for depositing a bactericidal coating on a polymeric biomedical implant by ion beam assisted deposition, comprising introducing a polymeric biomedical implant into an evacuated chamber, evaporating a bactericidal evaporant within the chamber to form a vapor of said evaporant proximate to said polymeric biomedical implant, introducing accelerated ions into the chamber, and bombarding at least a portion of said polymeric biomedical implant with the accelerated ions to drive said evaporant into said polymeric biomedical implant to form the bactericidal coating.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for depositing a bactericidal coating on a polymeric biomedical implant by ion beam assisted deposition, comprising introducing a polymeric biomedical implant into an evacuated chamber, evaporating a bactericidal evaporant within the chamber to form a vapor of said evaporant proximate to said polymeric biomedical implant, introducing accelerated ions into the chamber, and bombarding at least a portion of said polymeric biomedical implant with the accelerated ions to drive said evaporant into said polymeric biomedical implant to form the bactericidal coating.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises continuing the evaporation and bombardment steps until the bactericidal coating has a thickness of at least about 0.01 microns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises continuing the evaporation and bombardment steps until the bactericidal coating is formed having a thickness ranging between about 0.01 microns and about 10 microns.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of bombarding the polymeric biomedical implant with the accelerated ions further comprises bombarding the polymeric biomedical implant with an ion beam having a beam energy of at least about 200 eV.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of evaporating the bactericidal evaporant comprises evaporating a metallic evaporant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the metallic evaporant comprises at least one of silver, platinum, iridium, gold, mercury, copper and iodine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the step of bombarding the implant with accelerated ions comprises bombarding the implant with at least one of argon, oxygen, neon, and helium ions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the polymeric biomedical implant is one of a catheter, a stent, a faryngectomy flap, a tracheostomy tube, a hydrocephalic shunt and a percutaneous connector.