Gamma stable reinforced pump tubing

Abstract

A composite tube having at least one porous polyethylene layer imbibed with at least one elastomer to form a composite layer having an elastic modulus less than 40 MPa and a primary melt peak temperature less than 135° C. is disclosed. The at least one elastomer is at least partially imbibed through a thickness of the porous polyethylene layer. The porous polyethylene layer may include expanded polyethylene (ePe), or ultra-high molecular weight expanded polyethylene (eUHMWPE). In some embodiments, at least one elastomer forms a coating on the polyethylene layer. The composite tube may have a volume fraction from about 1% to about 20% and an elastic modulus from about 1 MPa to about 40 MPa. A gamma sterilized polymeric composite tube may have an average pump life from about 80 hours to about 5000 hours. In some embodiments, the composite tube may include a reinforcing film.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.