Insertable medical devices having microparticulate-associated elastic substrates and methods for drug delivery

1. An insertable medical device to deliver a bioactive agent to blood vessels of a subject, the device comprising:

an expandable elastic portion,

a flexible biostable hydrogel matrix selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylamide), poly(methacrylamide), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethylene glycol), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), methyl vinyl ether/maleic anhydride copolymers, and vinyl pyrrolidone/(meth)acrylamide copolymers, wherein the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix forms a non-contiguous coating on the outer surface of the expandable elastic portion, and

microparticulates having an average greatest dimension in the range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm associated with an outer surface of the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix when the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix is in a dehydrated state,

wherein the microparticulates comprise a water-insoluble bioactive agent, and

wherein a portion greater than 50% of the microparticulates associated with the outer surface of the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix disassociates from the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix upon hydration of the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix and expansion of the elastic portion to contact the hydrated flexible biostable hydrogel matrix and microparticulates with the blood vessels of the subject.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein a majority of the associated microparticulates are non-homogenously distributed in the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix and are associated on the outer surface of the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein flexible biostable hydrogel matrix further comprises a polymer having pendent reacted photogroups that covalently bond the polymer to a target selected from other polymers in the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix and to the outer surface of the expandable elastic portion.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the pendent reacted photogroups comprise a reacted aryl ketone photogroup.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable elastic portion is all or a portion of a balloon.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the balloon is an angioplasty balloon.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the balloon is a folded angioplasty balloon.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix has a thickness in the range of 5-100 μm.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the microparticulates are formed entirely or almost entirely of a bioactive agent in neat form.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bioactive agent is selected from the group consisting of antiproliferatives, antiinflamatories, and antiplatelet compounds.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the bioactive agent is paclitaxel.

12. The device of claim 1 , formed by a process including a step of disposing a liquid composition that includes bioactive agent on the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix and allowing microparticulates having an average greatest dimension in the range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm to form on, and become associated with, the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix during drying of the liquid composition on the outer surface of the flexible hydrogel surface.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the microparticulates on, and associated with, the outer surface of the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix are formed by a process including a step of drying a suspension of the microparticulates in water on the outer surface of the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the microparticulates have an average greatest dimension in the range of 1-3 μm.

15. An insertable medical device comprising an angioplasty balloon capable of delivering a bioactive agent to a subject, the device comprising:

an expandable elastic balloon portion,

a flexible biostable hydrogel matrix selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylamide), poly(methacrylamide), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethylene glycol), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), methyl vinyl ether/maleic anhydride copolymers, and vinyl pyrrolidone/(meth)acrylamide copolymers coated on an outer surface of the expandable elastic balloon portion, the matrix further comprising a polymer having pendent reacted aryl ketone photogroups that covalently bond the polymer to a target selected from other polymers in the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix and a coated surface of the expandable elastic portion, wherein the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix forms a non-contiguous coating on the outer surface of the expandable elastic portion, and

microparticulates associated with the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix, the microparticulates comprising a bioactive agent,

wherein a portion greater than 50% of the microparticulates associated with the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix disassociates from the elastic balloon portion during expansion, and

wherein the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix is formed by a process including a step of disposing a suspension comprising the microparticulates in water on the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix and allowing the microparticulates to become associated with the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix by drying the suspension on the surface of the elastic balloon portion.

16. A method for delivering a bioactive agent to an internal tissue of a subject comprising the steps of:

providing an insertable medical device comprising:

an expandable elastic portion having a coating comprising a flexible biostable hydrogel matrix selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylamide), poly(methacrylamide), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethylene glycol), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), methyl vinyl ether/maleic anhydride copolymers, and vinyl pyrrolidone/(meth)acrylamide copolymers, wherein the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix forms a non-contiguous coating on the expandable elastic portion, and microparticulates having an average greatest dimension in the range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm associated with the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix, the microparticulates comprising a bioactive agent;

inserting the medical device into a subject, and

expanding the expandable elastic portion in the subject, wherein a portion greater than 50% of the microparticulates associated with the flexible biostable hydrogel matrix disassociates from the coating and is released into the subject, and wherein bioactive agent is released from the microparticulates to provide a therapeutic effect to the internal tissue of the subject.