Protective coatings for printed surfaces
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsDaniel J. Rogers, Audrey A. Sherman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Tubular medical articles have an interior surface and an exterior surface. At least a portion of the exterior surface of the tube is a printed surface, with a transparent vapor-deposited coating of a barrier polymer covering the exterior surface of the tube. The tube is a polymer composition containing one or more extractable components. The transparent vapor-deposited coating of a barrier polymer is derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer. The printed surface is visible through the barrier polymer layer. The vapor-deposited polymer coating barrier reduces the extraction of extractable component(s) from the tube as well as protecting the printed surface.
Claims20
A medical article comprising:
- a tube with an interior surface and an exterior surface, comprising a polymer composition containing one or more extractable components, and wherein at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tube is a printed surface;
- and
- a transparent vapor-deposited coating of a barrier polymer derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer covering at least a portion of at least the exterior surface of the tube, such that the vapor-deposited polymer coating barrier reduces the extraction of extractable component(s) from the tube, and wherein the printed surface is visible through the barrier polymer layer.
A method of preparing a medical article comprising:
- providing a tube with an interior surface and an exterior surface, comprising a polymer composition containing one or more extractable components;
- printing on at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tube;
- and
- vapor coating a barrier polymer derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer onto at least a portion of at least the exterior surface of the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.