Lubricious medical devices

• US 6,071,266 A
• Filed: 10/23/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald W. Kelley
• Original Assignee: Donald W. Kelley
• Inventors: Kelley, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn Wood
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blyveis, Deborah
• Application Number:
  US09/178,018
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 604/264, 604/265, 604/523, 604/536
• US Class Current: 604/265
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/10 Materials for lubricating medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/049 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/085 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/041 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/06 Polyethene

Abstract

Lubricious medical devices such as catheters and stents which minimize friction and retain lubricity and dimensional properties for a long period of time. The devices are made by coextrusion wherein the inner layer is a hydrophobic polymer and the outer layer is a blend of a hydrophilic polymer and hydrophobic polymer. Devices made by extrusion of a blend of hydrophobic polymer with a blend of hydrophobic/hydrophilic polymer are described also.

Claims

1. A lubricious medical device having a very low coefficient of friction which comprises:

a laminate of two polymeric layers wherein one layer constitutes the inner layer and one layer constitutes the outer layer;

said inner layer being formed of a hydrophobic polymer;

said outer layer being formed of a lubricious polymeric blend of a hydrophilic polymer and a hydrophobic polymer;

said polymeric blend constituting not less that about 25 percent of the thickness of the laminate;

said hydrophilic polymer constituting not less that about 25 percent of the lubricious polymeric blend; and

said medical device having the property of retaining its original dimensional properties after prolonged exposure to hydrophilic liquid.

2. The medical device according to claim 1 wherein the device is a catheter.

3. The medical device according to claim 2 wherein the amount of hydrophilic polymer is a is about 50 percent of the lubricious polymeric blend.

4. The medical device according to claim 3 wherein the lubricious polymeric blend constitutes about 50 percent of the thickness of the laminate.

5. The medical device according to claim 2 wherein the polymeric blend contains about 50 percent hydrophilic polymer and the laminate is formed of about 50 percent lubricious polymeric blend as the outer layer.

6. The medical device according to claim 2 wherein said polymeric blend is a blend of ethylene vinyl acetate and poly(ethylene oxide) and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

7. The medical device according to claim 2 wherein the hydrophilic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol poly(ethylene oxide) and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

8. The medical device according to claim 7 wherein the hydrophobic polymer is ethylene vinyl acetate.

9. The medical device according to claim 7 wherein the hydrophobic polymer is polyethylene.

10. The medical device according to claim 7 wherein the hydrophobic polymer of the inner layer is high density polyethylene.