Claims
- 1. A catheter useful for accessing body cavities during therapeutic and diagnostic medical procedures, said catheter comprising:
- an elongated tubular member having at least one lumen, said elongated tubular member formed of a heat extruded homogeneous polymer blend of polyetherurethane and polyetherester, wherein said polymer blend provides the catheter with enhanced torque retention and balanced rebound properties.
- 2. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polyetherester is present in said polymer blend at a concentration of at least 5 w/w%.
- 3. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polyetherurethane further includes a first polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of about 65 D at 25.degree. C., a second polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of about 75 D at 25.degree. C., and a third polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of about 80 A at 25.degree. C.
- 4. The catheter of claim 3 wherein said polymer blend includes from 0 w/w% to about 65 w/w% of said first polyetherurethane, from about 5 w/w% to about 35 w/w% of said second polyetherurethane, and from 0 w/w% to about 15 w/w% of said third polyetherurethane.
- 5. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend further includes a filler of radiopaque material.
- 6. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend further includes additives selected from the group consisting of TiO.sub.2 and pigments.
- 7. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend includes about 45 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 65 D, about 7.2 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 75 D, about 12.4 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 80 A, about 6.4 w/w% polyetherester, about 1% TiO.sub.2, and about 28 w/w% BaSO.sub.4 radiopaque material.
- 8. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend includes inorganic compounds selected from the group consisting of radiopaque filler and pigments.
- 9. The composition of claim 8 wherein said radiopaque filler is BaSO.sub.4.
- 10. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polyetherester is present in said polymer blend at a concentration of from about 5 w/w% to about 45 w/w%.
- 11. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend includes from about 25 w/w% to about 75 w/w% polyetherurethane, from about 5 w/w% to about 45 w/w% polyetherester, from about 15 w/w% to about 30 w/w% filler of radiopaque material, and about 1 w/w% pigment.
- 12. A catheter having improved maneuverability and torque transmitting properties at 25.degree. C. and 37.degree. C., said catheter comprising:
- an elongated tubular member having at least one lumen, said elongated tubular member formed of a thermoplastic homogenous blend of polyetherurethane and polyetherester, said blend having from about 5 w/w% to about 45 w/w% polyetherester, from about 0 w/w% to about 45 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 65 D, from about 7.2 w/w% to about 16 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 75 D, and from about 12.4 w/w% to about 12.9 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 80 A or 40 D.
- 13. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend further includes inorganic compounds selected from the group consisting of radiopaque filler and pigments.
- 14. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polyetherurethane is present in said polymer blend at a concentration of at least 22.4 w/w%.
- 15. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polyetherurethane is present in said polymer blend at a concentration of from about 25 w/w% to about 75 w/w%.
- 16. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polyetherester has a Shore hardness of about 55 D at 25.degree. C.
- 17. The catheter of claim 5 wherein said radiopaque filler is BaSO.sub.4.
- 18. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend includes about 16.0 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 75 D, about 12.9 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 80 A, about 39.9 w/w% polyetherester having a hardness of about 55 D, about 0.8% TiO.sub.2, about 30 w/w% BaSO.sub.4 radiopaque material, and about 0.4% pigment.
- 19. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said polymer blend includes about 9.5 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 75 D, about 12.9 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 80 A, about 46.4 w/w% polyetherester having a hardness of about 55 D, about 0.8% TiO.sub.2, about 30 w/w% BaSO.sub.4 radiopaque material, and about 0.4% pigment.
- 20. A catheter useful for accessing body cavities during therapeutic and diagnostic medical procedures, said catheter comprising:
- an elongated tubular member having at least one lumen, said elongated tubular member formed of a heat extruded homogeneous polymer blend of polyetherurethanes and polyetherester, said blend having about 45 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 65 D, about 7.2 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 75 D, about 12.4 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 80 A, about 6.4 w/w% polyetherester having a hardness of about 55 D, about 1% TiO.sub.2, and about 28 w/w% BaSO.sub.4 radiopaque material.
- 21. A catheter useful for accessing body cavities during therapeutic and diagnostic medical procedures, said catheter comprising:
- an elongated tubular member having at least one lumen, said elongated tubular member formed of a heat extruded homogeneous polymer blend of polyetherurethanes and polyetherester, said blend having about 16 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 75 D, about 12.9 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 80 A, about 39.9 w/w% polyetherester having a hardness of about 55 D, about 1.2% TiO.sub.2, and about 30 w/w% BaSO.sub.4 radiopaque material.
- 22. A catheter useful for accessing body cavities during therapeutic and diagnostic medical procedures, said catheter comprising:
- an elongated tubular member having at least one lumen, said elongated tubular member formed of a heat extruded homogeneous polymer blend of polyetherurethanes and polyetherester, said blend having about 9.5 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 75 D, about 12.9 w/w% polyetherurethane having a Shore hardness of 80 A, about 46.4 w/w% polyetherester having a hardness of about 55 D, about 1.2% TiO.sub.2, and about 30 w/w% BaSO.sub.4 radiopaque material.
RELATED CASES
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/840,427, filed on Feb. 24, 1992 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0017111 |
Mar 1980 |
EPX |
0422693A2 |
Jun 1986 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Results of Data Base Search relating to high torque catheters. |
Abstract of JP 50079559, Database WPI, Derwent Publications Ltd., AN 76-11880X. |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
840427 |
Feb 1992 |
|