Medical instrument and device having echogenic markings
AssigneeThüringisches Institute für Textile- und Kunstostoff-Forschung e.V.
InventorHolger Gunkel
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a medical device having an improved ultrasound visibility and a very smooth surface, to methods for producing the device according to the invention and to the application of the device in therapeutic and diagnostic interventions. The improved ultrasound visibility is achieved by bubbles or closed cavities in an inner polymer layer.
Claims23
A medical device having an echogenic marking, the device comprising an element having a tubular shape, said element comprising an outer polymer layer and at least one inner polymer layer, and at least the outer polymer layer has a smooth surface,
- wherein the outer polymer layer is transparent to laser radiation and at least one inner polymer layer contains laser additives comprised of laser absorbers,
- the echogenic marking is comprised of closed cavities or bubbles in the at least one inner polymer layer containing laser additives, with the closed cavities or bubbles having been generated by the laser additives under an action of laser radiation,
- the laser absorbers have particle sizes in the range of <300 nm, and
- the bubbles or closed cavities have a diameter of 5 to 50 μm and a spherical or partially spherical shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.