SOFT CANNULA

• US 20080033399A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Disetronic Licensing Ag
• Inventors: Hunn, Marcel, Denoth, Patrik, Liniger, Jurg
• Application Number:
  US11/872,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033399A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0065 which become stiffer or softer when becoming wet or humid, e.g. immersed within a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/065 Guide needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0662 Guide tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/32 Needles; Details of needles pertaining to their connection with syringe or hub infusion needles A61M5/158; Accessories for bringing the needle into, or holding the needle on, the body A61M5/42, A61M5/46 take precedence; guide needles for catheters A61M25/065; Devices for protection of needles apparatus specially adapted for cleaning or sterilising needles A61M5/001

Abstract

A cannula which increases in pliability during use, wherein prior to use the cannula includes at least one material of variable hardness or at least two materials of differing hardness, of which the variably harder or material having the greater hardness is yielded or dissolved during application.

Claims

1. A cannula that increases in pliability during use, wherein the cannula comprises a composite material formed by strips of material of an invariable hardness and by strips of a material of variable hardness, said strips of invariable and variable hardness arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein, when the cannula is in use, the material of variable hardness decreases in hardness.

2. The cannula as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strips of invariable and variable hardness are arranged in an alternating configuration.

3. The cannula as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strips of invariable and variable hardness are arranged along a length of the cannula.

4. The cannula as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strips of invariable and variable hardness are arranged along one or more sections of the cannula.

5. A cannula that increases in pliability during use, wherein the cannula comprises a water-absorbing material based on a polyamide of a first variable hardness that decreases in hardness upon water absorption, and a material having a second hardness that at least partially dissolves upon use.

6. The cannula as set forth in claim 5, wherein when said cannula is in use, said cannula comprises a water absorbing inner side and a water absorbing outer side.

7. The cannula as set forth in claim 5, wherein said water-absorbing material based on a polyamide of a first variable hardness comprises an inner material of said cannula, and said material having a second hardness comprises an outer material of said cannula.

8. A cannula which increases its pliability during use, wherein, prior to application, said cannula comprises at least two materials having a different hardness of which said material having the greater hardness is yielded during use, wherein said cannula has a bent shape.

9. The cannula as set forth in claim 8, wherein the cannula has a curved shape.

10. The cannula as set forth in claim 9, wherein the curved cannula comprises a radius of curvature of less than 5 cm.

11. The cannula as set forth in claim 10, wherein the radius of curvature is less than 0.5 cm.

12. The cannula as set forth in claim 10, wherein the radius of curvature is less than 0.1 cm.

13. The cannula as set forth in claim 8, wherein the material having the greater hardness is a second cannula, said second cannula being removed during use.

14. The cannula as set forth in claim 13, wherein the cannula with the greater hardness is a metallic needle, said metallic needle having an outer diameter in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

15. The cannula as set forth in claim 8, wherein the materials of differing hardness are separated by a layer, at least partially in sections.

16. The cannula as set forth in claim 8, wherein the material having the lower hardness comprises a material having a hardness that can vary during use.

17. The cannula as set forth in claim 8, wherein said cannula is configured in a transcutaneous perfusion set.

18. The cannula as set forth in claim 8, wherein said cannula is configured in a catheter head for a transcutaneous infusion set, in which the cannula forms an infusing part of said catheter head.

19. A cannula which increases in pliability during use, wherein, prior to application, said cannula comprises a first material of a first thermally susceptible hardness and a second material having a second hardness, that, prior to use is lower than the harness of the first material, wherein, the thermally susceptible hardness of said first material decreases during use, wherein, the first material is or comprises a polymer

20. The cannula as set forth in claim 19, wherein the second material having the lower initial hardness at least partially surrounds the material of the first variable hardness.

21. The cannula as set forth in claim 19, wherein the material having the lower hardness at least partially surrounds the material having the greater hardness.