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US 10,420,859 B2Granted
Flushable catheters
AssigneeHollister Incorporated
InventorsShamsedin Rostami, Adam J. Foley, John T. Clarke, Horacio Montes de Oca Balderas, Enda F. Carter, Jerome A. Henry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flushable catheter assembly that includes at least one shrinkable portion that shrinks from a first configuration to a second compact configuration to reduce the size of the catheter assembly for passage through the sewer system. The flushable catheter may also be made from a water disintegratable polymer that dissolves, degrades or hydrolyzes while within the sewer system.
Claims20
A flushable catheter assembly comprising:
- a shrinkable catheter shaft that contracts in size from a first configuration to a second smaller compact configuration when contacted with a fluid to reduce the size of the catheter shaft;
- and
- wherein the shrinkable catheter shaft comprises a stretched amorphous polymer that includes straightened polymer chains that are conditioned to transition from a straightened state in the first configuration to a more amorphous state in the second configuration.
A flushable catheter, comprising:
- a catheter shaft wherein at least a portion of the catheter shaft comprises a shrinkable material that contracts in size from a first configuration to a second compact configuration when contacted with fluid to reduce the size of the catheter shaft;
- and
- the shrinkable material comprising a stretched amorphous polymer that includes straightened polymer chains that are conditioned to transition from a straightened state in the first configuration to a more amorphous state in the second configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.