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Abstract

A medical lubricant suitable for injection into the blood stream of a patient. The lubricant is suitable for use with rotating equipment such as atherectomy drive shafts moving within sheaths and over guide wires and other minimally invasive medical devices introduced into a patient through a catheter like instrument. The lubricant is an oil-in-water emulsion including a surfactant, a co-surfactant, and a pH buffer. The lubricant can further include a cryogenic agent and a pH adjusting agent. One lubricant includes olive oil as an emulsified oil, egg yolk phospholipid as a surfactant, sodium deoxycholate as a co-surfactant, glycerin as a cryogenic agent, L-histidine as a pH buffer, and is pH adjusted using sodium hydroxide. The lubricant can also include a therapeutic agent. The lubricant can withstand freeze/thaw cycles as well as saline dilution, heating, and shear stress without significant creaming, separation, or unacceptable increases in oil droplet size. Compared to saline, the lubricant provides significantly increased lubrication efficiency for rapidly moving parts.

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First Claim