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  Coating suitable for surgical instrumentsUSPTO Application #: 20070181043Title: Coating suitable for surgical instruments Abstract: An improved coating and devices using said coating are disclosed The coating is applied in a liquid form and then dried or otherwise cured to form a durable adherent coating resistant to high temperatures and in at least one embodiment possessing hydrophobic properties. In one aspect of the invention the coating formulation contains at least in part an aqueous formulation of silica, such as colloidal silica, and one or more fillers, such as inorganic fillers, and sufficient base, such as potassium hydroxide, to have a pH exceeding about 10.5 during at least part of the formulation process. In another aspect of the invention the coating formulation contains one or more substances that affect its surface free energy such as by reducing the surface free energy to make the cured coating hydrophobic, such surface free energy altering compounds include silanes containing halogens such as fluorine or chlorine and in particular silanes containing one or more hydrolyzable groups attached to at least one silicon atom and a group containing one or more halogens such as chlorine or fluorine. In another aspect of the invention is a surgical instrument at least partially covered by a coating using the formulation of the present invention at least part of such instrument powered by electricity to produce a predetermined surgical effect. (end of abstract)
Agent: Marsh, Fischmann & Breyfogle LLP - Aurora, CO, US Inventors: Warren P. Heim, James Brassell USPTO Applicaton #: 20070181043 - Class: 106815000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Compositions: Coating Or Plastic, Miscellaneous, Inorganic Settable Ingredient Containing, Boron, Sulfur, Or Halogen Containing (e.g., Alum, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070181043. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/762,375 filed Jan. 25, 2006, entitled "IMPROVED COATING FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND RELATED METHODS AND APPARATUS". The foregoing patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirely. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to materials' coatings and using coatings to protect and affect the surface properties of products or apparatus at least partially covered with such coatings, such as instruments used during surgical procedures. The invention may be used in applications where coatings are useful and more particularly for applications benefitting from containing one or components containing materials benefitting from protecting the component from the use environment or the use environment from the component. Examples of such protection are protecting components from high temperatures, liquids or vapors, such as moisture or steam, or protecting materials in the use environment from high temperature components. The invention is advantageous where an adherent coating able to withstand high temperatures, such as a coating being adherent to metals, protects components from the use environment or protects elements of the use environment from components. An example of such use is on instruments that apply electrosurgical power to a tissue site to achieve a predetermined surgical effect. Another example of such use is coating engine exhaust components such as mufflers. Another example of such use is coating doors to improve thermal or oxidative resistance, such as fire doors. Aspects of the present invention include a composition for coating formulation, a method for preparing the composition, and a method for forming a coating using the composition. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Electrical energy is widely employed during surgical procedures in which electrosurgical techniques are employed to provide localized high flux energy to tissue during open, laparoscopic, and arthroscopic applications to provide clinical benefits, such as hemostasis, relative to surgical approaches that use mechanical cutting such as scalpels. Electrosurgical techniques typically entail the use of a hand-held instrument, or pencil, that transfers alternating current electrical power operating at radio frequency (RF) to tissue at the surgical site. The time-varying RF electrical power yields a predetermined electrosurgical effect, such as tissue cutting or coagulation. [0004] The process of applying RF electrical power causes high temperatures to occur in the tissue and on at least part of the surgical instrument. The result of these high temperatures is the formation of tissue fragments and other substances that often accumulate and form deposits on surgical instruments. These deposits are called eschar. Eschar frequently accumulates in such amounts that it interferes with surgical procedures. [0005] In attempts to alleviate the formation of eschar or make instruments from which eschar may be more easily removed than from metal surfaces, instruments with surface coatings, such as coated blades, have been used or described. For example, such coatings are made from materials to which eschar accumulations stick less tightly than they stick to the metals from which electrosurgical instruments are made. The coatings are typically made from one or more polydiorganosiloxane or polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) compounds. These compounds suffer from not having high temperature durability. Materials capable of withstanding high temperatures, such as ceramics, do not confer adequate non-stick properties when used as coatings. In this regard, the present inventors have recognized that the need exists for a high temperature coating that has non-stick properties. [0006] Relatedly, the metal conductors in electrosurgical instruments that convey energy to tissue get hot during use. When contacting tissue the hot surfaces damage tissue. Therefore, protecting tissue in the use environment from the hot instrument surfaces can reduce tissue damage. Typical coatings cannot withstand the high temperatures in regions directly adjacent to where RF electrical power transfers to tissue. In this regard, the present inventors have also recognized that the need exists for a high temperature coating with insulating properties. [0007] In general, the present inventors believe that the need exists for a coating that can protect component materials from the use environment and the use environment from components. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a coating formulation, method for preparing the coating formulation, and method for applying the coating formulation to one or more components in an apparatus that needs protection from the use environment or that needs to have the use environment protected from the apparatus. [0009] An objective of the present invention is to provide a coating formulation, method for preparing the coating formulation, and method for applying the coating formulation to one or more components of devices used in surgical environments. [0010] An objective of the present invention is to provide a coating formulation, method for preparing the coating formulation, and method for applying the coating formulation to one or more components of devices used in surgical environments that results in a durable high temperature nonstick coating. [0011] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a coating formulation, method for preparing the coating formulation, and method for applying the coating formulation to a surgical instrument powered by electrosurgical energy that results in reduced eschar accumulation. [0012] In addressing these objectives, the present inventors have recognized that a novel coating formulation containing silica (e.g., colloidal and/or amorphous silica), inorganic fillers, and a strong base such that the pH of the formulation exceeds 10.5 during at least part of the preparation process produces a durable adherent high temperature coating to which a treatment such as a non-stick outer coating may be applied. In this regard, the use of a strong base advantageously serves to at least partially dissolve the silica. [0013] In one aspect, the present inventors have further recognized that a novel coating containing silica (e.g., colloidal and/or amorphous silica), inorganic fillers, and a strong base such that the pH of the formulation exceeds 10.5 during at least part of the preparation process, and which additional constituents such as alkoxy silanes may be added, produces a coating that is inherently non-stick, adherent, durable, and capable of withstanding high temperatures. The present inventors have further recognized that such coatings have non-stick properties when the formulation contains one or more halogen-containing alkyalkoxysilanes, e.g., those containing halogens such as fluorine or chlorine. In the latter regard, and by way of example, fluoroalkyalkoxysilanes or chloroalkyalkoxysilanes may be employed. [0014] The present inventors have yet further recognized that such use of alkyalkoxysilanes possessing hydrolyzable inorganic alkylsilyl groups including methoxysilyl or ethoxysilyl groups produces durable high temperature coatings. The present inventors have yet further recognized that using alkyalkoxysilanes possessing hydrolyzable inorganic alkylsilyl groups including methoxysilyl or ethoxysilyl groups and one or more straight or branched halogenalkyl chains, such as chloroalkyl or fluoroalkyl chains, produces durable high temperature coatings with excellent hydrophobic and oleophobic (non-stick) properties. [0015] The present inventors have yet further recognized that a coating containing silica (e.g., colloidal and/or amorphous silica), inorganic fillers, and a strong base such that the pH of the formulation exceeds 10.5 during at least part of the formulation process to which one or more substance containing one or more fluorinated carbon chains, such as PTFE emulsions or at least partially hydrolyzed fluorinated silanes or at least partially cross-linked hydrolyzed silanes, form a coating that is inherently non-stick, adherent, durable, and capable of withstanding high temperatures. [0016] In another aspect, the present inventors have further recognized that adding materials such as water, surfactants, and solids such as fumed silica alter the viscosity and surface tension of the formulation to allow it to flow or otherwise cover surfaces producing coatings having different thicknesses or surface finishes and making coatings suitable for various application methods such as dipping or spraying. [0017] In further addressing the objectives of the present invention the inventors have recognized that the coating formulation of the present invention may be applied to organic and inorganic materials, such as cloth, glass, plastic, and metal materials and produce durable adherent coatings. Such coating may be restricted to the surface or may penetrate into interstitial pores, cracks, crevices, or other voids that exist. [0018] In further addressing the objectives of the present invention the inventors have recognized that the coating formulation of the present invention may be applied to electrically conductive metal surfaces and produce durable adherent coatings suitable for use on medical instruments including instruments suitable for use with electrosurgery. The present inventors have further recognized that the coating formulation of the present invention may be applied to stainless steel and materials having thermal conductivities greater than stainless steel, such as molybdenum, and produce durable adherent coatings suitable for medical instruments including instruments suitable for use with electrosurgery. The present inventors have further recognized that surgical instruments comprised at least in part with metals having coatings based on the formulation of the present invention are most suitable for use in electrosurgical applications when at least one part of the metal surface is left uncoated or sufficiently thinly coated so that an energy transfer path exists with sufficiently low impedance, less than approximately 5,000 ohms, that electrosurgical energy can adequately transfer from the surgical instrument to the tissue where a predetermined surgical effect is desired to occur. [0019] In still further addressing the objectives of the present invention the inventors have recognized that the coating formulation of the present invention may be applied by dipping, spraying, painting, printing, pad printing, or other means capable of transferring a liquid substance to a substrate such as one made from metal or a surgical instrument. In still further addressing the objectives for the present invention the inventors have recognized that the coating formulation of the present invention may be applied in multiple coats to build up a final coat. The present inventors have further recognized that such multiple coats may be applied prior to applying energy to any already applied coat, such application of energy being applied to cure the coating material. [0020] In still further addressing the objectives of the present invention the inventors have recognized that the coating formulation of the present invention may be cured by applying energy, such as thermal energy transferred by conduction from air or radiation from one or more surfaces, to enhance the properties of the coating, such as its durability, resistance to moisture, adherence, and non-stick properties. Continue reading... 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