Claims
- 1. An artificial sphincter comprising at least one component adapted for inflation and deflation, and coated on at least one contacting surface with a polymeric material, the polymeric coating adapted to expand and return to an original configuration and to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of the contacting surface.
- 2. The artificial sphincter of claim 1 wherein the polymeric coating reduces the coefficient of friction of the contacting surface.
- 3. The artificial sphincter of claim 1 wherein said component is an inflatable cuff adapted to surround a urethra or a rectum.
- 4. The artificial sphincter of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of an inner surface or an outer surface of the cuff is coated with the polymeric material.
- 5. The artificial sphincter of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of an inner surface and at least a portion of an outer surface of the cuff is coated with the polymeric material.
- 6. The artificial sphincter of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material comprises parylene.
- 7. The artificial sphincter of claim 6 wherein the thickness of the polymeric coating is in the range 0.00004″-0.00012″.
- 8. The artificial sphincter of claim 6 wherein the thickness of the polymeric coating is in the range 0.00004″-0.00008″.
- 9. The artificial sphincter of claim 6 wherein the thickness of the polymeric coating is about 0.00006″.
- 10. The artificial sphincter of claim 1 wherein the component is made of silicone.
- 11. An artificial sphincter comprising:
an inflatable cuff; a control pump fluidly coupled to the inflatable cuff; and a pressure-regulating balloon fluidly coupled to the control pump;
wherein at least a portion of a surface of the artificial sphincter includes a parylene coating adapted to expand and return to an original configuration and to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of the surface.
- 12. The artificial sphincter of claim 11 wherein the cuff is adapted to surround a urethra or a rectum.
- 13. The artificial sphincter of claim 11 wherein the cuff is made of silicone.
- 14. The artificial sphincter of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the cuff is coated with parylene.
- 15. The artificial sphincter of claim 11 further comprising a first reinforcing tube fluidly coupling the control pump to the inflatable cuff, wherein at least a portion of the first reinforcing tube is coated with parylene.
- 16. The artificial sphincter of claim 11 further comprising a second reinforcing tube fluidly coupling the control pump to the pressure-regulating balloon, wherein at least a portion of the second reinforcing tube is coated with parylene.
- 17. An artificial sphincter component adapted for inflation and deflation, and coated on at least one contacting surface with a polymeric material, the polymeric coating adapted to expand and return to an original configuration and to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of the contacting surface.
- 18. The artificial sphincter component of claim 17 wherein the polymeric coating reduces the coefficient of friction of the contacting surface.
- 19. The artificial sphincter component of claim 17 wherein the component is an inflatable cuff adapted to surround a urethra or a rectum.
- 20. The artificial sphincter component of claim 17 wherein the component is made of silicone.
- 21. The artificial sphincter component of claim 17 wherein the polymeric material comprises parylene.
- 22. A method for increasing the wear-resistance of a component for a flexible artificial sphincter component adapted for inflation and deflation, comprising coating the region with a polymeric material to give a polymeric coating, the polymeric coating adapted to expand and return to an original configuration and to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of a contacting surface.
- 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the polymeric coating reduces the coefficient of friction of the contacting surface.
- 24. The method of claim 22 wherein the component is made of silicone.
- 25. The method of claim 22 wherein the polymeric material comprises parylene.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the coating step comprises a vapor deposition of parylene.
- 27. The method of claim 22 further comprising masking an area of the component to prevent the polymeric material from coating the masked area.
- 28. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of masking an area of the component includes adhering a member to the area to prevent the polymeric material from coating the masked area.
- 29. The method of claim 27 wherein the component includes an opening, and wherein the step of masking an area of the component comprises the steps of:
inserting a cap through the opening so that a portion of the cap is in contact with a peripheral region of the component surrounding the opening; and securing a member to the cap so that a portion of the component including the peripheral region is sandwiched between the cap and the member such that the polymeric material does not coat the portion sandwiched between the cap and the member.
- 30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of placing a vent tube through the cap such that fluid may selectively be permitted to flow through the tube.
- 31. The method of claim 29 wherein securing a member to the cap includes placing a washer between the cap and member so that the portion of the component including the peripheral region is sandwiched between the cap and the washer.
- 32. A method of depositing a coating to a surface of an inflatable component, comprising:
providing a vacuum chamber system having an inner chamber positioned within an outer chamber, said inner and outer chambers in fluid communication through at least one conduit; positioning an inflatable component within the inner chamber; sealably attaching the component to the conduit, whereby the inner and outer chambers are no longer in fluid communication; activating a vacuum device to apply a vacuum to at least one of the inner and outer chambers; and introducing at least one coating material into at least one of the inner and outer chambers to deposit a coating onto an exposed surface of the component.
- 33. The method of claim 32 wherein activating a vacuum device includes:
activating a first vacuum device to apply a first vacuum to the outer chamber; and activating a second vacuum device to apply a second vacuum to the inner chamber.
- 34. The method of claim 33 wherein the second vacuum is characterized by a lower pressure than the first vacuum.
- 35. The method of claim 32 wherein the coating comprises parylene.
- 36. The method of claim 32 wherein introducing at least one coating material includes:
introducing a first coating material into the outer chamber to deposit a first coating onto an exposed first surface of the component; and introducing a second coating material into the inner chamber to deposit a second coating onto an exposed second surface of the component.
- 37. The method of claim 36 wherein the first coating comprises parylene.
- 38. The method of claim 36 wherein the second coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of antibiotics, medicaments, and therapeutic agents.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of provisional U.S. application Ser. No. 60/310,005, entitled “Parylene Coated Components For Artificial Sphincters,” filed Aug. 3, 2001. This application also claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/526,051, entitled “Parylene-Coated Components for Inflatable Penile Prosthesis,” filed Mar. 15, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60310005 |
Aug 2001 |
US |