Balloons made from liquid crystal polymer blends

• US 6,730,377 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyon, Harold
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUENJES, CHRISTOPHER P
• Application Number:
  US10/055,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20030138577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 428/35.7, 428/36.9, 428/36.91, 604/509, 604/96.01, 604/264, 604/915, 525/437, 525/444, 525/450, 525/540
• US Class Current: 428/35.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/04 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• 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]

Abstract

A portion of a medical device formed from a melt blend of a polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer and at least one other polymer.

Claims

1. A medical device at least a portion of which is composed of a polymeric material which is a melt blend product comprising:

a) at least one polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer; and

b) at least one base polymer.

2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer has terminal and lateral anhydride groups.

3. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer has about 4 to about 18 anhydride groups per molecule.

4. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said at least one base polymer is a polyamide, a polyester, a copolymer thereof, or mixture thereof.

5. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said at least one base polymer is a poly(ether-block-amide), a poly(ester-block-ether), a polyethyleneterephthalate, nylon 11, nylon 12, or mixture thereof.

6. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer and said at least one base polymer react to form a graft polymer.

7. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said medical device is a catheter.

8. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said portion of said medical device is a balloon mounted on a catheter.

9. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said portion of said medical device is a catheter shaft.

10. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said melt blend product comprises about 0.1 wt-% to about 40 wt-% of said liquid crystal polymer and about 60 wt-% to about 99.9 wt-% of at least one other polymer.

11. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said melt blend product comprises about 0.5 wt-% to about 10 wt-% of said liquid crystal polymer and about 90 wt-% to about 99.5 wt-% of at least one other polymer.

12. A dilatation balloon formed from an extruded tubular parison which is a melt blend product of at least one polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer and at least one other polymer.

13. The dilatation balloon of claim 12 wherein said polyesterimide has terminal and lateral anhydride groups.

14. The dilatation balloon of claim 12 wherein said at least one other polymer is a polyester, a polyamide, a copolymer thereof or a mixture thereof.

15. The dilatation balloon of claim 12 wherein said at least one other polymer is a poly(ester-block-ether), a poly(ether-block-amide), polyethyleneterephthalate, nylon 11, nylon 12, or mixture thereof.

16. The dilatation balloon of claim 12 wherein said polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer and at least one other polymer form a graft polymer.

17. The dilatation balloon of claim 12 wherein said melt blend product comprises about 0.1 wt-% to about 40 wt-% of said polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer and about 60 wt-% to about 99.9 wt-% of at least one other polymer.

18. The dilatation balloon of claim 12 wherein said melt blend product comprises about 0.5 wt-% to about 10 wt-% of said polyesterimide anhydride liquid crystal polymer and about 90 wt-% to about 99.5 wt-% of at least one other polymer.

19. The dilatation balloon of claim 12 wherein said polyesterimide anhydride has about 4 to about 18 anhydride groups per molecule.