Hardened polymeric lumen surfaces

• US 20080312639A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Jan
• Application Number:
  US11/818,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312639A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/524
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/18 Modification of implant surfaces in order to improve biocompatibility, cell growth, fixation of biomolecules, e.g. plasma treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/04 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. lubricating compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0062 having features to improve the sliding of one part within another by using lubricants or surfaces with low friction coatings A61M2025/0046
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0023 by the form of the lumen, e.g. cross-section, variable diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for surface modification of catheters. The surface modification can be localized to a lumen surface of the catheter. The surface modification to the lumen surface extends radially into the catheter body a predetermined distance to provide a hardened zone having a hardness that is greater than a hardness of an exterior surface of the catheter body.

Claims

1. A catheter, comprising:

a polymer elongate catheter body having an exterior surface that extends from a first end to a second end, and a lumen surface defining a lumen and a hardened zone that extends into the polymer elongate catheter body, the hardened zone having a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the exterior surface.

2. The catheter of claim 1, where the hardened zone extends into the polymer elongate catheter body from the lumen surface a predetermined distance of 100 to 200 nanometers.

3. The catheter of claim 1, where the hardened zone has a uniform hardness value.

4. The catheter of claim 1, where the hardened zone has a hardness value that decreases in value from the lumen surface.

5. The catheter of claim 1, where the lumen surface is a carbonized region of the polymer elongate catheter body.

6. The catheter of claim 1, where the hardened zone of the lumen surface is a continuous surface.

7. The catheter of claim 1, where the hardened zone of the lumen surface has a discontinuous surface with a predefined pattern.

8. A method of modifying a lumen surface of a polymer elongate catheter body, comprising:

generating a plasma of ions inside a lumen of the polymer elongate catheter body from a first pair of electrodes positioned outside the polymer elongate catheter body; and

driving the ions of the plasma into the lumen surface of the polymer elongate catheter body with a second pair of electrodes positioned outside the polymer elongate catheter body.

9. The method of claim 8, where driving the ions of plasma into the lumen surface includes forming a hardened zone that extends into the polymer elongate catheter body.

10. The method of claim 9, including transitioning the hardened zone to a non-hardened zone of the polymer elongate catheter body.

11. The method of claim 9, including controlling a depth of the hardened zone to maintain bulk mechanical properties of the polymer elongate catheter body.

12. The method of claim 8, where driving the ions of the plasma includes alternating a negative and a positive voltage across the second pair of electrodes at a predetermined frequency.

13. The method of claim 8, including rotating the first pair and second pair of electrodes relative the polymer elongate catheter body.

14. A method of forming a catheter, comprising:

depositing a first polymer material on a mandrel;

forming a hardened zone in at least a portion of the first polymer material on the mandrel;

depositing a second polymer material over the hardened zone to form the catheter; and

removing the mandrel from the catheter.

15. The method of claim 14, where forming the hardened zone includes exposing the first polymer material to ions of a plasma to carbonize the first polymer material.

16. The method of claim 15, where exposing the first polymer material to ions of the plasma carbonizes all of the first polymer material to form the hardened zone.

17. The method of claim 15, where exposing the first polymer material to ions of the plasma carbonizes a portion of the first polymer material on the mandrel to form the hardened zone.

18. The method of claim 17, including dissolving the first polymer material to expose the carbonized layer of the hardened zone and release the mandrel from the catheter.

19. The method of claim 14, where depositing a first polymer material on a mandrel includes forming a non-uniform pattern of the first polymer material;

and

dissolving the first polymer material to expose the hardened zone having the non-uniform pattern.

20. The method of claim 14, where removing the mandrel from the catheter include axially stretching the mandrel to separate the mandrel from the catheter.