Adhesive-lined elastic condom cathether

Abstract

A tubular elastic sheath for a condom catheter, the sheath taking the form of a thin, flexible, cylindrical member of elastic material having inner and outer surfaces and being rolled outwardly upon itself to form a torus having successively larger turns. A thin, flexible, multi-layered tape is interposed between successive turns of the rolled torus with such layers, all adhering to each other and to the catheter member, comprising a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, and a highly-stretchable elastomeric layer disposed between the first and second adhesive layers. The first adhesive layer adheres to the inner surface of the catheter member and the second adhesive layer adheres to the outer surface of that member, and the relationship is such that the elastomeric layer adheres more securely to the second adhesive layer than to the first adhesive layer, and the first adhesive layer has less affinity for the elastomeric layer than each of the adhesive layers has for the surfaces of the catheter member. As a result, when the sheath is unrolled, the tape undergoes delamination with the first adhesive layer remaining upon the sheath's inner surface and the second adhesive layer, covered by the elastomeric layer, remaining on the sheath's outer surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.