Medico-surgical devices

• US 8,092,390 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Cooper Companies Global Holdings LP (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Group plc (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Field, Stephen James
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, MICHAEL G
• Application Number:
  US10/196,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,464 Days
• Field of Search: 600/458, 600/461, 600/566, 600/567, 606/108
• US Class Current: 600/458
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/435 for embryo or ova transplantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/223 Microbubbles, hollow microspheres, free gas bubbles, gas microspheres
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/18 Materials at least partially X-ray or laser opaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/18 Materials at least partially X-ray or laser opaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1433 Uterus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0012 with embedded structures, e.g. coils, braids, meshes, strands or radiopaque coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/01 Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters A61M25/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16

Abstract

An embryo replacement catheter has a flexible extruded shaft of a transparent polyurethane with a bore extending along its length. Gas bubbles of a diameter in the range 5μ to 10μ are incorporated into the thickness of the wall of the shaft by adding gas during extrusion. The bubbles are selected to increase the visibility of the catheter under ultrasound imaging whilst still enabling material flowing along the catheter to be seen.

Claims

1. A medico-surgical device of a plastics material, wherein said plastics material has a thickness, wherein said material includes gas bubbles through a major part of the thickness of said material in at least a part of the device, said gas bubbles in said material increasing the visibility of the device under ultrasound imaging, said gas bubbles being regions of gas bounded by the plastics material of the device forming an interface between the gas and the plastics material, wherein said region is a strip extending along the length of the device.

2. A method of making a medico-surgical device comprising the steps of:

extruding a plastics material to form a wall having a thickness; and

incorporating a gas into said wall during extrusion such as to form gas bubbles through a major part of the thickness of said wall sufficient to increase the visibility of said device under ultrasound observation, said gas bubbles being regions of gas bounded by the plastics material of the device forming an interface between the gas and the plastics material.

3. A method of making a medico-surgical device comprising forming a wall of a plastics material containing hollow microspheres such as to form gas bubbles through a major part of a thickness of the wall sufficient to increase the visibility of said device under ultrasound observation, said gas bubbles being regions of gas bounded by the plastics material of the device forming an interface between the gas and the plastics material.