Catheter tubing of controlled in vivo softening

• US 5,453,099 A
• Filed: 05/18/1994
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Karakelle, Mutlu, Lee, Min-Shiu, Taller, Robert A., Spielvogel, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STRIGHT, RONALD K
• Application Number:
  US08/245,883
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 604/264, 604/265, 604/280, 604/282, 138/123-126, 138/172, 138/174
• US Class Current: 604/524
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/085 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. lubricating compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0064 which become stiffer or softer when heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes

Abstract

A catheter tubing has a layer of a hydrophobic stiffening polymer encapsulated by a layer of hydrophilic thermoplastic base polymer. Preferred stiffening polymers are polyesterpolyether block copolymers. Preferred base polymers are thermoplastic polyetherurethanes. The encapsulated layer may be a stripe or an annular layer having base polymer layers laminated on both surfaces thereof.

Claims

1. A tubing comprising one or more discontinuous rods of a hydrophobic thermoplastic stiffening polymer having a Shore D hardness of about 50-80 encapsulated by a hydrophilic thermoplastic polyetherurethane, said polyetherurethane comprising the reaction product of a diisocyanate, a chain extender and a polyetherglycol comprising at least 50% by weight of polytetramethylene ether glycol, said stiffening polymer being selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, polycarbonate liquid crystalline polymer and polyurethane of 70 to 100% hard segment.

2. The tubing of claim 1 wherein said diisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of 4,4'"'"'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4'"'"'-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate and hexamethylene diisocyanate.

3. The tubing of claim 1 wherein said chain extender is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,4'"'"'-bishydroxymethyl cyclohexane, hydroquinone dihydroxyethyl ether, hexane diamine, ethanolamine and mixtures thereof.

4. The tubing of claim 1 further comprising a radiopaque agent dispersed in at least one of said discontinuous rods and said polyetherurethane.

5. The tubing of claim 1 wherein said polyetherurethane has a Shore hardness of at least 95Å

.

6. A tubing comprising one or more discontinuous rods of a hydrophobic thermoplastic stiffening polymer, said stiffening polymer comprising at least 30% by weight of a polyurethane having a hard segment content of 70-100% and a Shore D hardness of about 50-80%, said discontinuous rod being encapsulated by a hydrophilic thermoplastic polyetherurethane, said polyetherurethane comprising the reaction product of a diisocyanate, a chain extender and a polyetherglycol comprising at least 50% by weight polytetramethylene ether glycol.

7. The tubing of claim 6 wherein said stiffening polymer comprises about 35% by weight of said polyurethane of 70 to 100% hard segment and about 65% by weight of said hydrophilic thermoplastic polyetherurethane.

8. The tubing of claim 6 wherein said stiffening polymer comprises about 50% by weight of said polyurethane of 70 to 100% hard segment and about 50% by weight of a polyester.