Lubricious compound and medical device made of the same

• US 20060241000A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bavaro, Vincent P.
• Application Number:
  US11/112,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 508/551
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 9/12 characterised by structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 111/04 at least one of them being a macromolecular organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2205/203 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1023 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1045 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2217/0443 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2217/0453 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/025 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/50 Medical uses
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2050/023 Multi-layer lubricant coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2050/08 Solids
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2050/14 Composite materials or sliding materials in which lubricants are integrally molded

Abstract

A hydrophilic polymer blend where at least one of the polymer materials is a water insoluble polymer and one of the materials is a hydrophilic water-soluble polymer. The invention includes a method of forming the hydrophilic polymer blend by melt mixing the hydrophilic polymer and the insoluble polymer into a finely dispersed polymer blend, forming strands of the hydrophilic polymer blend, and then pelletizing the strands.

Claims

1. A method of forming a lubricious polymer comprising:

drying a polyethylene oxide of a molecular weight between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000;

drying a polyether block amide;

adding the polyethylene oxide into a first feeder and the polyether block amide into a second feeder, the first and second feeders controlled by a feeder control and situated to feed the polymers into a compounding extruder;

melt mixing the polymers with a low shear/low energy screw into a generally uniform blend;

extruding the blend through a forming die to form a strand;

cooling the strand; and

pelletizing the strand.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising drawing the strand as it being cooled.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling further comprises running the strands over a chill roller, the chill roller cooled by a chilled water bath.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising cross-linking the lubricious polymer a predetermined amount.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein cross-linking the polymer further comprises applying an electron beam to the polymer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein drying the polyethylene oxide comprises drying a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of about 1,000,000.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein melt mixing the polymers further includes heating the polymers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide and the polyether block amide are added to the first and second feeders at a rate to produce a polymer that is up to 60% polyethylene oxide.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide and the polyether block amide are added to the first and second feeders at a rate to produce a polymer that is about 35% to about 50% polyethylene oxide.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide and the polyether block amide are added to the first and second feeders at a rate to produce a polymer that is about 40% polyethylene oxide.

11. A lubricous polymer comprising:

a finely dispersed blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000 and a polyether block amide, the blend including up to about 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide.

12. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polymer blend includes between about 35% and about 50% polyethylene oxide.

13. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polymer blend includes about 40% polyethylene oxide.

14. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 500,000 to 2,000,000.

15. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 1,000,000.

16. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polyether block amide has a shore hardness of 72D.

17. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the lubricious polymer is cross-linked a desired amount.

18. A lubricous polymer blend comprising:

a substantially uniform polymer blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and 7,000,000 and a polyether block amide, the blend including up to 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide.

19. A lubricous polymer comprising:

a finely dispersed blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000 and a polyurethane, the blend including up to about 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide.

20. The lubricious polymer of claim 19 wherein the polymer blend includes about 40% polyethylene oxide.

21. The lubricious polymer of claim 19 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 500,000 to 2,000,000.

22. The lubricious polymer of claim 19 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 1,000,000.