SYRINGE WITH PECVD LUBRICITY LAYER, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING A VESSELTO AND FROM A PECVD PROCESSING STATION, AND DOUBLE WALL PLASTIC VESSEL

• US 20170135619A1
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SiO2 Medical products Inc.
• Original Assignee: SiO2 Medical products Inc.
• Inventors: Fisk, Thomas E., Abrams, Robert S., Ferguson, John, Freedman, Jonathan R., Pangborn, Robert J., Sagona, Peter J., Felts, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,390,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150206 Construction or design features not otherwise provided for; manufacturing or production; packages; sterilisation of piercing element, piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/154 Devices using pre-evacuated means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/10 Materials for lubricating medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2420/02 Methods for coating medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2420/08 Coatings comprising two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/088 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/084 or A61L31/086
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 13/00 Means for manipulating or holding work, e.g. for separate articles B05C1/0821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 13/025 relatively small cylindrical objects, e.g. cans, bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/04 by means of grippers B23Q7/1494 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1494 using grippers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/045 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/458 characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/082 Investigating permeability by forcing a fluid through a sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2273 : Measuring photoelectron spectrum, e.g. electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis [ESCA] or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy [XPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/7206 : interfaced to gas chromatograph interfaces in general for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed with specially adapted mass spectrometer, see H01J49/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/00 : Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0096 : Testing material properties on thin layers or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 : Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1383 : Vapor or gas barrier, polymer derived from vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, or polymer containing a vinyl alcohol unit is sandwiched between layers [continuous layer]

Abstract

Methods for processing a vessel, for example to provide a gas barrier or lubricity, are disclosed. First and second PECVD or other vessel processing stations or devices and a vessel holder comprising a vessel port are provided. An opening of the vessel can be seated on the vessel port. The interior surface of the seated vessel can be processed via the vessel port by the first and second processing stations or devices. Vessel barrier and lubricity coatings and coated vessels, for example syringes and medical sample collection tubes are disclosed. A vessel processing system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A syringe comprising:

a. a plunger;

b. a barrel made of thermoplastic base material defining a lumen and having an interior surface receiving the plunger for sliding;

c. a lubricity layer less than 1000 nm thick on the barrel interior surface, the plunger, or both, applied by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and comprising Si_wO_xC_yH_z, or Si_wN_xC_yH_z, in which w is 1, x is from about 0.5 to 1, y is from about 2 to about 3, and z is from 6 to about 9; and

d. a surface treatment covering the lubricity layer in an amount effective to reduce the leaching of the lubricity layer, the thermoplastic base material, or both into the lumen;

wherein the lubricity layer and surface treatment are composed, and present in relative amounts, effective to provide a plunger breakout force, plunger sliding force, or both less than the corresponding force required in the absence of the lubricity layer and surface treatment.

2. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 100 nm deep in the lubricating layer.

3. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 50 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

4. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 40 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

5. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 30 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

6. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 20 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

7. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 10 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

8. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 5 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

9. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 3 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

10. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is less than 1 nm deep in the lubricity layer.

11. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment is between 0.1 and 50 nm deep in the lubricity layer

12. The syringe of claim 1, in which the surface treatment comprises SiO_x, in which x is from about 1.5 to about 2.9.

13. The syringe of claim 1, in which the lubricity layer is on the barrel interior surface.

14. The syringe of claim 1, in which the lubricity layer is on the plunger.

15. A method of PECVD treatment of a first vessel, comprising:

a. providing a first vessel having an open end, a closed end, and an interior surface;

b. providing at least a first gripper configured for selectively holding and releasing the closed end of the first vessel;

c. gripping the closed end of the first vessel with the first gripper;

d. using the first gripper, transporting the first vessel to the vicinity of a vessel holder configured for seating to the open end of the first vessel;

e. using the first gripper, axially advancing the first vessel and seating its open end on the vessel holder, establishing sealed communication between the vessel holder and the interior of the first vessel;

f. introducing at least one gaseous reactant within the first vessel through the vessel holder;

g. forming plasma within the first vessel under conditions effective to form a reaction product of the reactant on the interior surface of the first vessel;

h. unseating the first vessel from the vessel holder;

i. using the first gripper or another gripper, axially transporting the first vessel away from the vessel holder; and

j. releasing the first vessel from the gripper used to axially transport it away from the vessel holder.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

a. providing a reaction vessel different from the first vessel, the reaction vessel having an open end and an interior space;

b. seating the open end of the reaction vessel on the vessel holder, establishing sealed communication between the vessel holder and the interior space of the reaction vessel;

c. providing a PECVD reactant conduit within the interior space;

d. forming plasma within the interior space of the reaction vessel under conditions effective to remove at least a portion of a deposit of a PECVD reaction product from the reactant conduit;

e. unseating the reaction vessel from the vessel holder; and

f. transporting the reaction vessel away from the vessel holder.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

a. providing at least a second gripper;

b. operatively connecting at least the first and second grippers to a series conveyor;

c. providing a second vessel having an open end, a closed end, and an interior surface;

d. providing a gripper configured for selectively holding and releasing the closed end of the second vessel;

e. gripping the closed end of the second vessel with the gripper;

f. using the gripper, transporting the second vessel to the vicinity of a vessel holder configured for seating to the open end of the second vessel;

g. using the gripper, axially advancing the second vessel and seating its open end on the vessel holder, establishing sealed communication between the vessel holder and the interior of the second vessel;

h. introducing at least one gaseous reactant within the second vessel through the vessel holder;

i. forming plasma within the second vessel under conditions effective to form a reaction product of the reactant on the interior surface of the second vessel;

j. unseating the second vessel from the vessel holder;

k. using the second gripper or another gripper, axially transporting the second vessel away from the vessel holder; and

l. releasing the second vessel from the gripper used to axially transport it away from the vessel holder.

18. A vessel comprising a wall at least partially enclosing a lumen and having an interior surface enclosed by an exterior surface, in which the wall comprises:

a. an oxygen barrier layer of SiO_x, in which x is from about 1.5 to about 2.9, having a thickness of from about 10 to about 500 angstroms;

b. a layer at least 0.1 mm thick of a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) resin defining a water vapor barrier; and

c. a layer at least 0.1 mm thick of a polyester resin.

19. The vessel of claim 18, in which:

a. the oxygen barrier layer of SiO_x defines the interior surface;

b. the polyester resin layer encloses the oxygen barrier layer; and

c. the layer of cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) resin encloses the polyester resin layer.

20. The vessel of claim 18, further comprising a tie layer disposed between the polyester resin and the COC resin layers.