Flexible, multilayered tube

• US 5,789,047 A
• Filed: 12/08/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Japan Gore-Tex Inc, Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Japan Gore-Tex Inc, Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Fumihiro, Suzuki, Akira, Shinmen, Hiroshi, Arai, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidleck, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williamson, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US08/569,897
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 428/36.5, 428/36.9, 428/36.92, 428/304.4, 428/306.6, 428/308.4, 428/314.8, 428/36.91, 128/4, 128/DIG. 14
• US Class Current: 428/36.91
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/40 for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/58 helically
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/8083 Improving bonding of wound materials or layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/12 containing fluorine
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0017 Heat stable
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0067 non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/007 Medical tubes other than catheters catheters B29L2031/7542
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1376 Foam or porous material containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/139 Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1393 Multilayer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249955 Void-containing component partially impregnated with adjacent component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249977 Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative], numerical cell dimension or density

Abstract

A flexible, multilayered tube with superior chemical resistance, heat resistance, and airtightness, as well as superior flexibility and resistance of the inner surface to staining. The tube comprises a flexible, multilayered tube having a first layer comprised of a non-porous polytetrafluoroethylene structure and a second layer comprised of a porous polytetrafluoroethylene structure laminated onto the outer peripheral surface of said first layer. The tube is useful as a medical tubing and in particular useful as an endoscope tube.

Claims

1. A flexible, multilayered tube comprising

a) a first layer consisting essentially of a non-porous structure comprised of polytetrafluoroethylene, said non-porous structure having a thickness of less than 300 micrometers and having an outer peripheral surface:

and

b) a second layer comprised of a porous polytetrafluoroethylene structure laminated onto the outer peripheral surface of said first layer, and having a porosity of about 30 to 70 percent;

wherein the thickness of the first layer is 1/1000 to 1/2 of the combined thickness of the first layer and second layer.

2. A flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 1 wherein the first layer and second layer are laminated by fusion under heat.

3. A flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 1 wherein the first layer and second layer are laminated via an adhesive interlayer.

4. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 3, wherein the adhesive interlayer is a thermoplastic fluorine resin.

5. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises at least two layers of polytetrafluoroethylene laminated by an adhesive.

6. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 2, wherein the first layer comprises at least two layers of polytetrafluoroethylene laminated by an adhesive.

7. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 3, wherein the first layer comprises at least two layers of polytetrafluoroethylene laminated by an adhesive.

8. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 5, wherein the adhesive is a thermoplastic fluorine resin.

9. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 6, wherein the adhesive is a thermoplastic fluorine resin.

10. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 7, wherein the adhesive is a thermoplastic fluorine resin.

11. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises porous polytetrafluoroethylene film made non-porous with a thermoplastic fluorine resin.

12. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 11 wherein the thermoplastic fluorine resin is a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer.

13. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 11 wherein the thermoplastic fluorine resin is fluorinated ethylene propylene.

14. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 1, with a fourth layer comprised of porous polytetrafluoroethylene laminated onto the outer peripheral surface of the second layer via a third layer consisting of an airtight material.

15. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 2, with a fourth layer comprised of porous polytetrafluoroethylene laminated onto the outer peripheral surface of the second layer via a third layer consisting of an airtight material.

16. The flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 3, with a fourth layer comprised of porous polytetrafluoroethylene laminated onto the outer peripheral surface of the second layer via a third layer consisting of an airtight material.

17. A medical tubing comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 1.

18. A medical tubing comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 2.

19. A medical tubing comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 3.

20. A medical tubing comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 14.

21. A tube for an endoscope comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 1.

22. A tube for an endoscope comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 2.

23. A tube for an endoscope comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 3.

24. A tube for an endoscope comprising the flexible, multilayered tube described in claim 14.

25. A flexible, multi-layered tube comprising;

a) a first, inner layer comprising a tubular polytetrafluoroethylene structure having inner and outer surfaces and a substantially uniform thickness of less than 300 microns therebetween, wherein the structure is substantially non-porous between the inner and outer surfaces of the first, inner layer; and

b) a second layer laminated onto the outer surface of the first, inner layer, said second layer comprising a tubular polytetrafluoroethylene structure having inner and outer surfaces and further having substantially uniform porosity of about 30 to 70 percent between the inner and outer surfaces of the second layer;

wherein the first and second layers have a combined thickness and the substantially uniform thickness of the first layer is 1/1000 to 1/2 of the combined thickness of the first and second layers.