Cross-linkable polyionic coatings for medical devices

Abstract

A method for making an article comprising a core material and a coating thereon, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing the core material; (b) applying one or more layers of a crosslinkable polycationic material, wherein the polycationic material is a reaction product of: (i) an epoxide of formula (I) wherein X equals bromo, chloro, iodo, or cyano, and R, R, R, R, independently of one another, are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear or branched C-C-alkyl, and linear or branched C-C-alkyl which is substituted with halogen, and(ii) a polymer having repeating units comprising one or more secondary or tertiary amine group(s);(c) applying one or more layers of a polyanionic material; and(d) cross-linking the layers of polyelectrolytes formed by steps (b) and (c). The articles obtainable by the method of the invention have desirable characteristics regarding adherence to the core material, durability, hydrophilicity, and wettability and are thus useful for the manufacture of medical articles such as ophthalmic devices.