Antimicrobial impregnated catheters and other medical implants and method for impregnating catheters and other medical implants with an antimicrobial agent

A method for impregnating a non-metallic medical device formed of a polymeric material with an antimicrobial agent comprising the steps of:

• forming an antimicrobial solution of an effective concentration to inhibit the growth of bacterial and fungal organisms relative to uncoated non-metallic medical device implants by dissolving an alkalinizing agent selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide in methanol, dissolving minocycline and rifampin in the solution, adding a penetrating agent selected from the group consisting of butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and combinations thereof to the solution;
• heating the antimicrobial solution to a temperature of between 30.degree. C. and 70.degree. C.;
• dipping at least a portion of the non-metallic medical device in said antimicrobial solution under conditions where the antimicrobial solution permeates the polymeric material of the non-metallic medical device;
• and
• removing the non-metallic medical device from the solution.

A method for impregnating a non-metallic medical device formed of a polymeric material with an antimicrobial agent comprising the steps of:

• forming an antimicrobial solution of an effective concentration to inhibit the growth of bacterial and fungal organisms relative to uncoated non-metallic medical device implants by dissolving an alkalizing agent selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide in methanol, dissolving minocycline and rifampin in the solution, adding methylene chloride to the solution;
• heating the antimicrobial solution to a temperature of between 30.degree. C. and 70.degree. C.;
• dipping at least a portion of the non-metallic medical device in said antimicrobial solution under conditions where the antimicrobial solution permeates the polymeric material of the non-metallic medical device;
• and
• removing the non-metallic medical device from the solution.