US 2002/0164265 A1 · Method of removing refractive defects in cyclic olefin medical devices

Abstract

A method of removing refractive defects formed in the matrix of a clear cyclic olefin component of a medical device during steam sterilization, wherein the clear polycyclicolefin component has been heated to a temperature of between 120° C. to 130° C. in the presence of steam. The method includes maintaining the polycyclicolefin component at a second temperature in a relatively drier atmosphere without reducing the temperature of the polycyclicolefin component to ambient temperature. Where the cyclic olefin component is a prefilled medical storage or delivery device, the second temperature is between 80° C. and less than 100° C. The method of this invention is particularly suitable to remove refractive defects formed in the matrix of a polycyclicolefin barrel of a prefilled syringe or cartridge following terminal sterilization.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of removing refractive defects formed in the matrix of a clear cyclic olefin component of a medical device during sterilization, said method comprising the following steps performed in sequence:

first heating said cyclic olefin component to a first temperature greater than 100° C. in the presence of steam for at least 30 minutes to sterilize said cyclic olefin component;
and
second maintaining the temperature of said cyclic olefin component at a second temperature of at least 80° C. for at least 20 minutes to remove said refractive defects from the matrix of said cyclic olefin component.

A method of terminally sterilizing a medical container or delivery device formed of a clear cyclic olefin polymer or copolymer and removing refractive defects formed in the matrix of the cyclic olefin medical container formed during sterilization, comprising the following steps performed in sequence:

heating said cyclic olefin container or delivery device in an autoclave in the presence of steam to a first temperature greater than 120° C. for at least 20 minutes, thereby sterilizing said cyclic olefin container or delivery device;
and
reducing the humidity of said cyclic olefin container or delivery device and maintaining a second temperature less than 120° C. and maintaining said cyclic olefin container or delivery device at said second temperature at a reduced humidity for at least 20 minutes, thereby removing refractive defects formed in the matrix of they cyclic olefin container or delivery device during sterilization.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of removing refractive defects in cyclic olefin medical devices

Life of this patent

Method of removing refractive defects in cyclic olefin medical devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20