Method for making a medical catheter
AssigneeNamic Caribe, Inc.
InventorsCharles E. Larsen, Leonard Pinchuk, Thomas D. Weldon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A polymeric article and method for making a polymeric article, such as a catheter, are disclosed wherein the article is contacted with a swelling agent, such as a solvent, and a plasticizer to make the polymeric material softer and/or more pliable or flexible. The contacting may be carried our sequentially or simultaneously, using a solution containing a plasticizer and a solvent.
Claims68
A method for making a polymeric article comprising:
- providing an article of a polymeric material;
- contacting said article with a swelling agent;
- and
- contacting said article with a plasticizer, said swelling agent a solvent for said article and said plasticizer, said swelling agent selected so as to swell said article from about 10% to about 300%, said plasticizer absorbed into said article in an amount sufficient to minimize the risk of trauma to human tissue.
A method for making a catheter having at least a body portion and an end portion, said end portion being more pliable or flexible than said body portion, the method comprising:
- forming an elongated, polymeric tube, said tube having a lumen and including a body portion and an end portion;
- contacting said end portion with a swelling agent;
- and
- contacting said end portion with a plasticizer, said swelling agent selected so as to swell said article from about 10% to about 300%, said swelling agent a solvent for said tube and said plasticizer, said plasticizer absorbed into said end portion in an amount sufficient to minimize the risk of trauma to human tissue.
A method for making a polymeric article comprising:
- providing an article of a polymeric material;
- contacting said article with a swelling agent;
- and contacting said article with a plasticizer, said swelling agent a solvent for said article and said plasticizer, said plasticizer absorbed into said article in an amount of about 25% by weight to provide an article sufficiently soft to minimize the risk of trauma to human tissue.
A method for making a catheter having at least a body portion and an end portion, said end portion being more pliable or flexible than said body portion, the method comprising:
- forming an elongated, polymeric tube, said tube having a lumen and including a body portion and an end portion;
- contacting said end portion with a swelling agent;
- and contacting said end portion with a plasticizer, said swelling agent a solvent for said tube and said plasticizer, said plasticizer absorbed into said end portion in an amount of about 25% by weight to provide a catheter sufficiently soft to minimize the risk of trauma to human tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.