Catheter made of a thermoplastic material having improved softness and low friction

A catheter which comprises a tubular shaft, said shaft consisting essentially of (a) from 40 to 70 percent by weight of an elastic composition which comprises:

• from 50 to 99.5 percent by weight of a block copolymer having thermoplastic rubber characteristics with a central rubbery polyolefin block and terminal blocks of a polystyrene;
• said block copolymer exhibiting a Brookfield viscosity at 25.degree. C. of 10 to 2000 cps., when measured using a 10 percent by weight solids solution in toluene, said composition including from 0 to 45 percent by weight of polypropylene, and from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight of a crosslinked, organic silicone elastomer which is the reaction product of an organopolysiloxane containing from one to five percent by weight of siloxane units which contain silicon-bonded vinyl groups, and an organopolysiloxane material containing silicon-bonded hydrogen;
• and (b) from 30 to 60 percent by weight of a hydrophobic oil-type plasticizer to provide the desired degree of softness to said elastic composition.