Radiographic opaque and conductive stripped medical tubes
First Claim
1. A radiographic opaque and conductive medical tube comprising a tubular member formed of a flexible impervious plastic material and including a single integral stripe portion extending throughout the length of the tubular member, said stripe portion including a mixture of first material and a second material different than said first material, said first material being a highly conductive material, said second material being a radiographic opaque material dispersed throughout the stripe portion whereby said single portion is operable for grounding of the tubular member to prevent significant electrostatic charge existing on the tubular member during use and simultaneously defines a visually observable portion of the tubular member when subjected to a radiographic beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter or other medical tube is formed by extruding of a suitable thermoplastic with an integral stripe portion simultaneously formed by extruding of the same or a compatible plastic material into the wall of the tube. The integral stripe portion has dispersed therein a powdered conducting metal or carbon and an X-ray opaque powdered salt such as a bismuth or bromide salt. The completely different functioning pigments may be incorporated in sufficient quantities to provide reliable dual functions without disrupting or otherwise adversely affecting the strength and characteristic of the tube for the purposes intended in the medical art. The stripe portion is preferably crowned to extend the exterior surface from the contiguous body of the tube and thus further provide additional carrier for the mixture of the two different pigments. The conductive pigment is also partially opaque and thus generally a mixture of 85% conductive pigment and 15% X-ray opaque pigment produces an exceptionally satisfactory construction. The integrated dual functioning stripe portion produces a single medical tube creating the advantages of the individual tubes heretofor provided in the art and thus usable in widely varying applications.
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Citations
10 Claims
- 1. A radiographic opaque and conductive medical tube comprising a tubular member formed of a flexible impervious plastic material and including a single integral stripe portion extending throughout the length of the tubular member, said stripe portion including a mixture of first material and a second material different than said first material, said first material being a highly conductive material, said second material being a radiographic opaque material dispersed throughout the stripe portion whereby said single portion is operable for grounding of the tubular member to prevent significant electrostatic charge existing on the tubular member during use and simultaneously defines a visually observable portion of the tubular member when subjected to a radiographic beam.
- 6. A radiographic opaque and conductive medical tube comprising a tubular cylindrical member formed of a thermoplastic composition including a longitudinally extending stripe portion extending throughout the length of the member, said stripe portion including a mixture of a powdered partially X-ray opaque and highly conductive powdered pigment and of a non-conductive and radiographic opaque powdered pigment dispersed throughout the stripe portion, said single stripe portion being adapted to be connected to an electrical ground and subjected to an X-ray beam.
Specification