Medical devices made from polymer blends containing low melting temperature liquid crystal polymers

• US 6,284,333 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Lixiao, Chen, Jianhua
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyon, Harold
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAYFORD, SANDRA M
• Application Number:
  US09/257,677
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 428/35.2, 428/35.5, 428/35.7, 428/36.9, 428/36.92, 428/480, 428/483, 428/500, 428/1.33, 428/1.25, 428/36.8, 525/64, 525/66, 525/179, 525/166, 604/96.01, 604/95.01, 604/103.06, 604/288.01
• US Class Current: 428/35.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/049 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/126 having a macromolecular matrix
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. lubricating compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1027 Making of balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1029 Production methods of the balloon members, e.g. blow-moulding, extruding, deposition or by wrapping a plurality of layers of balloon material around a mandril
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/7862 characterised by temperature values or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/78645 characterised by temperature values or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/7879 Stretching, e.g. stretch rod
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/0005 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/04 Extrusion blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/087 Means for providing controlled or limited stretch ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/22 using multilayered preforms or parisons
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7542 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 77/00 Compositions of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain of polyhydrazides C08L79/06; of polyamideimides or polyamide acids C08L79/08; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1345 Single layer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1386 Natural or synthetic rubber or rubber-like compound containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1397 Single layer [continuous layer]

Abstract

A medical device, at least a portion of which is composed of a polymeric material in which the polymeric material is a melt blend product of at least two different thermoplastic polymers, one of the thermoplastic polymers being a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer (LCP) having a melting point of less than 250° C. The portion of the device made from the melt blend may be a catheter body segment or a balloon for a catheter. The LCP blends suitably also include a non-LCP base polymer having a melting point in the range of about 140° C. to about 265° C.

Claims

1. A medical device at least a portion of which is composed of a polymeric material in which the polymeric material is a melt blend product of at least two different thermoplastic polymers, one of the thermoplastic polymers being a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer (LCP) having a melting point of less than 250°

C., and another of the thermoplastic polymers being a base polymer,

said base polymer is a thermoplastic polyamide elastomer or a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, is present in said melt blend in an amount of from about 85 to about 99.5 weight percent and has a melting point in the range of about 140°

C. to about 265°

C.; and

said LCP is present in an amount of 0.5 to about weight 8 percent.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the medical device is a catheter.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein said device portion is a balloon mounted on the catheter.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the base polymer has a melting point of about 220°

C. or less.

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein the melting point of the base polymer is from about 150°

C. to about 210°

C. and the melting point of the LCP is about 150°

C. to about 230°

C.