Polyurethane with delayed relaxation behaviour for compression products
AssigneeMedi GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsChrista Huger, Angelika Scherm, Seema Agarwal, Andreas Greiner, Pin Hu
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Abstract
The invention relates to medical aids, in particular compression products, such as compression stockings or bandages. Specifically, the invention provides a compression product comprising an elastic component or material that comprises polyurethane polymers and shows a delayed continuous relaxation behaviour. The invention furthermore provides polyurethane polymers containing N-diol having a delayed continuous relaxation behavior and corresponding quaternized polyurethane polymers, a process for producing the polyurethane polymers, a blend with elastane, as well as uses thereof.
Claims19
A compression product comprising an elastic component or material, the elastic component or material having a delayed continuous relaxation behavior, the elastic component or material being capable of applying a compression or a supporting force or a local pressure to a part of the body of a subject, the elastic component or material furthermore being capable of passing through a first phase during which the component or material is expanded, a second phase during which the component or material relaxes without recovering its original shape, and a third phase during which the component or material recovers its original shape with successive deceleration, wherein relaxation is self-initiated in the absence of an external stimulus;
- wherein recovery of the original shape does not proceed linearly over time, but is more and more delayed;
- and
- wherein the compression product is selected from the group consisting of a compression hosiery, a compression stocking, sock, knee sock, tights, panty hose, maternity panty hose, a compression knee guard, a compression arm sleeve, a compression waist attachment, belt or girdle, a compression bandage, a body-supporting bandage, an orthosis, a prosthesis liner, a compression wound dressing, a compression plaster or patch, and a compression garment.
A polyurethane (PU) polymer having a delayed continuous relaxation behavior, wherein relaxation is initiated autonomously or spontaneously in the absence of an external stimulus, wherein the delayed relaxation behavior is delayed in respect of duration of the immediate relaxation phase and/or successive compression phase.
A blend comprising:
- (a) a non-quaternized polyurethane (PU) polymer containing N-diol (PU-N);
- and/or
- (b) a quaternized polyurethane (PU) polymer or ionomer containing quaternized N-diol (PU-N+);
- and
- (c) elastane.
A process for producing a polyurethane (PU) polymer containing N-diol, the PU polymer containing at least one N-diol monomer component, comprising the steps of:
- (i) Preparation of a quaternizable N-diol;
- (ii) Preparation of a PU polymer containing a quaternizable N-diol as produced in step (i);
- and, optionally,
- (iii) Quaternization of the PU polymer produced in step (ii).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.