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Methods, systems, and devices for applying and utilizing a water-soluble polymer on a surface to provide desirable properties, attributes and/or characteristics to the surface. In a first embodiment, the water-soluble polymer at least partially fills one or more pores of a fluoropolymer or a porous

Methods, systems, and devices for applying and utilizing a water-soluble polymer on a surface to provide desirable properties, attributes and/or characteristics to the surface. In a first embodiment, the water-soluble polymer at least partially fills one or more pores of a fluoropolymer or a porous metal. In a second implementation, the water-soluble polymer is mixed into a base material and the mixture is applied as a coating layer onto the surface. Where the surface is an electrosurgical electrode tip, the desirable properties, attributes and/or characteristics may include the ability to attract water that assists in cooling and/or lubricating the tip, to create a low shear, sacrificial layer that protects and enhances the tip, to supply a radical scavenger or inhibitor that reduces damage at the tip, and/or to deposit factors, such as healing factors, from the tip onto one or more contact surfaces of the patient's body.

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1. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising the acts of:applying a base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrument;applying a first layer of a water-soluble polymer to the tip and interspersed within the base material, the water-soluble polymer provi

1. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising the acts of:applying a base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrument;applying a first layer of a water-soluble polymer to the tip and interspersed within the base material, the water-soluble polymer providing a low shear, sacrificial layer to the tip; andapplying a second layer of the water-soluble polymer onto the first layer. 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the base material includes one or more pores therein. 3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of applying a the first layer of the water-soluble polymer comprises the act of using electrophoresis to draw the water-soluble polymer into at least a portion of the one or more pores. 4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of applying applying a first layer of the water-soluble polymer comprises using at least one of:(i) a dip process;(ii) a spray process;(iii) a brush process;(iv) a wiping process; or(v) an adsorption process. 5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the base material comprises a fluoropolymer. 6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the act of mixing the water-soluble polymer of the first layer and the base material, wherein the mixing is performed prior to applying, and wherein applying the base material and applying the water-soluble polymer are performed by using a process to apply the mixture of the water-soluble polymer and the base material to the tip. 7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the process used to apply the mixture comprises at least one of:(i) a dip process;(ii) a brush process; or(iii) a spray process. 8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the base material comprises at least one of:(i) a silicone;(ii) a ceramic; or(iii) a glass. 9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises at least one of:(i) polyethylene oxide;(ii) polyethylene glycol; or(iii) a copolymer of ethylene oxide. 10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises at least one of a water soluble acrylate polymer, a water soluble acrylic acid polymer, a water soluble vinyl polymer, a water soluble hetero atom polymer, and a water soluble natural polymer. 11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate. 12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of methacrylic acid. 13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of poly(vinyl alcohol). 14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of polylysine. 15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises a hyaluronic acid or derivative of hyaluronic acid. 16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer is a carrier that deposits a factor on a patient's body during an electrosurgical procedure. 17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the factor deposited is at least one of:(i) an antibiotic factor;(ii) a healing factor;(iii) an anti-adhesion factor;(iv) an anti-tumor factor; or(v) a tumor necrosis factor. 18. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising an act of forming one or more pores in the base material. 19. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising the acts of:applying a base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrument;forming one or more pores in the base material; andapplying a water-soluble polymer to the tip;wherein the act of forming one or more pores in the base material comprises:partially curing the base material;pressing a filler into the partially cured base material; andremoving the filler to leave one or more pores in the base material. 20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the act of removing the filler comprises removing the filler thro ugh a process selected from the group consisting of a heating process and a dissolving process. 21. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising the acts of:applying a base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrument;forming one or more pores in the base material; andapplying a water-soluble polymer to the tip;wherein the act of forming one or more pores in the base material comprises:partially curing the base material;pressing the partially cured base material into a filler; andremoving the filler to leave one or more pores in the base material. 22. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the act of removing the filler comprises removing the filler through a process selected from the group consisting of a heating process and a dissolving process. 23. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising the acts of:applying a base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrumentforming one or more pores in the base material; andapplying a water-soluble polymer to the tip;wherein the act of forming one or more pores in the base material comprises curing the base material to cause cracks, voids, or pores to be formed in the base material. 24. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising:applying a base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrument;applying a first layer of a water-soluble polymer interspersed within the base material; andapplying a second layer of a water-soluble polymer over the first layer. 25. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising:applying a base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the base material including one or more pores therein; andapplying a water-soluble polymer over the base material, wherein applying the water-soluble polymer comprises using electrophoresis to draw the water-soluble polymer into at least a portion of the one or more pores, wherein the combination of the water-soluble polymer and the base material form a first layer about at least a portion of the tip. 26. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising applying a second layer of a water-soluble polymer over the first layer. 27. A method for coating a tip of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising:mixing a water-soluble polymer and a base material; andapplying the mixture of the water-soluble polymer and the base material to a tip of an electrosurgical instrument. 28. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein applying the mixture comprises at least one of:a dip process;a brush process; ora spray process. 29. A tip for use in performing an electrosurgical procedure, the tip comprising:a substrate;a base material over the substrate;a first layer of a water-soluble polymer interspersed within the base material; anda second layer of a water-soluble polymer over the first layer. 30. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises at least one of:(i) polyethylene oxide;(ii) polyethylene glycol; or(iii) a copolymer of ethylene oxide. 31. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises at least one of a water soluble acrylate polymer, a water soluble acrylic acid polymer, a water soluble vinyl polymer, a water soluble hetero atom polymer, and a water soluble natural polymer. 32. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate. 33. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble acid polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of methacrylic acid. 34. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of poly(vinyl alcohol). 35. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polymers or copolymers of polylysine. 36. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises a hyaluronic acid or derivative of hyaluronic acid. 37. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the substrate includes a porous metal. 38. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the substrate includes surgical stainless steel. 39. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the substrate includes roughened metal. 40. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer provides a radical scavenger that reduces damage to the base material during a process of gamma sterilization. 41. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the coating further includes comprising an etching agent. 42. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the base material comprises at least one of:(i) a fluoropolymer;(iv) a silicone;(ii) a ceramic; or(iii) a glass. 43. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the water-soluble polymer is a carrier that deposits a factor on a patient during an electrosurgical procedure. 44. A tip as recited in claim 29, wherein the factor comprises at least one of:(i) an antibiotic factor;(ii) a healing factor;(iii) an anti-adhesion factor;(iv) an anti-tumor factor; or(v) a tumor necrosis factor.