System and method for enhanced electrostatic deposition and surface coatings

1. A system for electrostatic deposition of particles upon a charged substrate to form a coating on a surface of said substrate, the system comprising:

a vessel;

an expansion nozzle that releases coating particles having a first average electric potential suspended in a gaseous phase from a near-critical or supercritical fluid that is expanded through said nozzle; at a first location into said vessel;

and

an auxiliary emitter that generates a stream of charged ions having a second average electric potential in an inert carrier gas at a second location into said vessel, the second location being separated from the first location, wherein said auxiliary emitter comprises an electrode having a tapered end that extends into a gas channel that conducts said stream of charged ions in said inert carrier gas toward said charged coating particles;

whereby said coating particles interact with said charged ions and said carrier gas within said vessel to enhance a charge differential between said coating particles and said substrate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating particles have a first velocity upon release of the coating particles from the expansion nozzle that is less than a second velocity of the coating particles when said coating particles impact said substrate.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second velocity is in the range from about 0.1 cm/sec to about 100 cm/sec.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein attraction of the coating particles to the substrate is increased as compared to attraction of the coating particles to the substrate in a system without the auxiliary emitter.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first average electric potential is different than the second average electric potential.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein an absolute value of the first average electric potential is less than an absolute value of the second average electric potential, and wherein a polarity of the charged ions is the same as a polarity of the coating particles.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary emitter further comprises a capture electrode.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is positioned in a circumvolving orientation around said expansion nozzle.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises a conductive material.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises a semi-conductive material.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises a polymeric material.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said charged ions at said second electric potential are a positive corona or a negative corona positioned between the expansion nozzle and said substrate.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said charged ions at said second electric potential are a positive corona or a negative corona positioned between the auxiliary emitter and said substrate.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said coating particles comprises at least one of: polylactic acid (PLA); poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA); polycaprolactone (poly(e-caprolactone)) (PCL), polyglycolide (PG) or (PGA), poly-3-hydroxybutyrate; LPLA poly(l-lactide), DLPLA poly(dl-lactide), PDO poly(dioxolane), PGA-TMC, 85/15 DLPLG p(dl-lactide-co-glycolide), 75/25 DLPLG, 65/35 DLPLG, 50/50 DLPLG, TMC poly(trimethylcarbonate), p(CPP:SA) poly(1,3-bis-p-(carboxyphenoxy)propane-co-sebacic acid) and blends, combinations, homopolymers, condensation polymers, alternating, block, dendritic, crosslinked, or copolymers thereof.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein said coating particles comprise at least one of: polyester, aliphatic polyester, polyanhydride, polyethylene, polyorthoester, polyphosphazene, polyurethane, polycarbonate urethane, aliphatic polycarbonate, silicone, a silicone containing polymer, polyolefin, polyamide, polycaprolactam, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic polymer, acrylate, polystyrene, epoxy, polyethers, celluiosics, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, phosphorylcholine, polyethyleneyerphthalate, polymethylmethavrylate, poly(ethylmethacrylate/n-butylmethacrylate), parylene C, polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate, polyalkyl methacrylates, polyalkylene-co-vinyl acetate, polyalkylene, polyalkyl siloxanes, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyfluoroalkoxyphasphazine, poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene), poly-butyl methacrylate, poly-byta-diene, and blends, combinations, homopolymers, condensation polymers, alternating, block, dendritic, crosslinked, or copolymers thereof.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein said coating particles have a size between about 0.01 micrometers and about 10 micrometers.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating has a density on said surface in the range from about 1 volume % to about 60 volume %.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating is a multilayer coating.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is a medical implant.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is an interventional device.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is a diagnostic device.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is a surgical tool.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is a stent.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating is non-dendritic as compared to a baseline average coating thickness.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein no coating extends more than 0.5 microns from the baseline average coating thickness.

26. The system of claim 24 , wherein no coating extends more than 1 micron from the baseline average coating thickness.

27. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating is non-dendritic such that there is no surface irregularity of the coating greater than 0.5 microns.

28. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating is non-dendritic such that there is no surface irregularity of the coating greater than 1 micron.

29. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating is non-dendritic such that there is no surface irregularity of the coating greater than 2 microns following sintering of the coated substrate.

30. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating is non-dendritic such that there is no surface irregularity of the coating greater than 3 microns following sintering of the coated substrate.

31. A system for electrostatic deposition of particles upon a charged substrate to form a coating on a surface of a substrate, the system comprising:

a vessel;

an expansion nozzle that releases coating particles having a first average electric potential suspended in a gaseous phase from a near-critical or supercritical fluid that is expanded through said nozzle; at a first location into said vessel;

and

an auxiliary emitter that generates a stream of charged ions having a second average electric potential in an inert carrier gas at a second location into said vessel, the second location being separated from the first location, wherein said auxiliary emitter comprises a metal rod with a tapered tip and a delivery orifice;

whereby said coating particles interact with said charged ions and said carrier gas within a said vessel to enhance a potential differential between said coating particles and said substrate.