Polymeric/inorganic composite materials for use in medical devices

1. A medical device comprising (a) a polymeric substrate that comprises a first polymer block, (b) an inorganic barrier coating over the polymeric substrate, and (c) a first composite coating over the inorganic barrier coating, said first composite coating comprising (i) a first inorganic portion and (ii) a first polymeric portion that comprises a poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) block, wherein said medical device is an implantable or insertable medical device, wherein the first inorganic portion comprises an inorganic oxide selected from oxides of silicon, germanium, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, tantalum, iridium, ruthenium, barium and combinations thereof.

2. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein said medical device is a balloon.

3. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic portion comprises a sol-gel-derived inorganic oxide or a vapor deposited inorganic oxide.

4. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic portion comprises inorganic nanoparticles.

5. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the barrier coating is a sol-gel derived barrier coating or a vapor deposited barrier coating.

6. The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising an additional composite coating between the polymeric substrate and the inorganic barrier coating, wherein the additional composite coating comprises (i) a second inorganic portion which may be the same as or different from the first inorganic portion and (ii) a second polymeric portion that comprises a polymer block having the same monomer composition as said first polymer block.

7. The medical device of claim 6 , wherein the substrate comprises polyether and polyamide blocks, and wherein the second polymeric portion comprises a polyamide block, a polyether block, or both.

8. The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising a therapeutic agent disposed beneath the first composite coating, within the first composite coating, or both.

9. The medical device of claim 8 , wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from anti-restenotic agents, anti-proliferative agents, anti-thrombotic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, anti-migratory agents, agents affecting extracellular matrix production and organization, antineoplastic agents, anti-mitotic agents, anesthetic agents, anti-coagulants, vascular cell growth promoters, vascular cell growth inhibitors, cholesterol-lowering agents, vasodilating agents, and agents that interfere with endogenous vasoactive mechanisms, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing.

10. A medical device comprising (a) a polymeric substrate that comprises a first polymer block, (b) an inorganic barrier coating over the polymeric substrate, and (c) a first composite coating over the inorganic barrier coating, said first composite coating comprising (i) a first inorganic portion and (ii) a first polymeric portion that comprises a poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) block, wherein the first inorganic portion comprises inorganic nanoparticles selected from carbon nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, silicon oxide nanoparticles, silicate nanoparticles, polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxanes, polyoxometalate nanoparticles, and combinations thereof.