Bactericidal and/or fungicidal plastic parts for use in the medical field

• US 5,516,480 A
• Filed: 03/31/1995
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guggenbichler J. Peter
• Original Assignee: Peter Guggenbichler, Theodor Krall
• Inventors: Guggenbichler, J. Peter, Krall, Theodor, Girisch, Monika
• Primary Examiner(s): THURLOW, JEFFERY
• Application Number:
  US08/381,829
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 264/341, 264/232, 264/344, 264/343, 264/345, 264/340, 264/233, 604/265, 427/2.24
• US Class Current: 264/343
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/102 Metals or metal compounds, e.g. salts such as bicarbonates, carbonates, oxides, zeolites, silicates
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/404 Biocides, antimicrobial agents, antiseptic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/54 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L27/227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/16 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L29/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/16 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L31/047 takes precedence

Abstract

A process is provided for producing a plastic part that cannot be colonized by germs and/or fungi. The process includes the step of sequentially treating the plastic part with a swelling agent to provide a swollen plastic part, and then treating the swollen plastic part with a solution of a water-insoluble compound containing a bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal, where the solution has a bactericidally and/or fungicidally effective concentration of the insoluble compound.

Claims

1. A process for producing a plastic part that cannot be colonized by germs and/or fungi, comprising the step of sequentially treating the plastic part with a swelling agent to provide a swollen plastic part, and treating the swollen plastic part with a solution of a water-insoluble compound containing a bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal, said solution having a bactericidally and/or fungicidally effective concentration of said compound.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the compound containing a bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal is an inorganic metal salt.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal is silver, copper, gold, zinc or cerium.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the solvent for the compound containing a bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal can complex the metal.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the swollen plastic is treated with a solution of a compound containing a bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal without being dried first, and wherein the compound containing a bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal is not as readily soluble in the swelling agent for the plastic as in the solvent in which it is dissolved.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the swelling agent is acetone or ethanol.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent contains an organic amine or ammonia.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the organic amine is an alkanolamine.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the alkanolamine is ethanolamine.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the compound containing a bactericidal and/or fungicidal metal is silver chloride and the solvent for this compound is ethanolamine.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the plastic part contains polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, silicone, alone or in combination.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the plastic part is a preproduct for medical devices.

13. A plastic part prepared according to the process of claim 1 that cannot be colonized by germs.