Urinary catheter

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 11850370
  • Patent Number
    11,850,370
  • Date Filed
    Monday, December 7, 2020
    3 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 26, 2023
    10 months ago
Abstract
A urinary catheter and container are described. The urinary catheter may have a catheter shaft attached to a handle, and a coating disposed on an outer surface of the catheter shaft. The coating may include a hydrogel, water and/or glycerin, and a polyethylene gylcol (PEG). The PEG may have a molecular weight equal to or less than 600, for example one or more of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 300 and PEG 400. The coating may be applied in a wet state and remain wet for an extended period of time in the container, thereby obviating the need for a lubricant, such as a water sachet or gel package, to accompany the catheter in the container. The container may include a gas impermeable foil material. The container may include an adhesive tab covering a perforated section, the adhesive tab including a pull loop.
Description
BACKGROUND

People suffering from neurogenic bladder disorders like spinal cord injury, spina bifida or multiple sclerosis, and non-neurogenic bladder disorders like obstruction due to prostate enlargement, urethral strictures or post-operative urinary retention, need to be continuously catheterized to empty their urinary bladders. However, continuous catheterization can lead to problems like urinary tract infections (UTI), urethral strictures or male infertility. Intermittent catheterization at regular intervals avoids many of the negative effects of continuous long term catheterization. There are four primary categories for intermittent catheters: (1) Bare Intermittents, (2) Hydrophilic Coated Intermittents, (3) Pre-Wetted Intermittents, and (4) Catheter in Bag or “Touchless” Intermittents.


Bare Intermittents require the use of an external lubrication method. These catheters are the least expensive and most commonly used. Typical materials include natural rubber (latex) (NRL), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and silicone. The common lubrication method is a gel pack. The gel is either applied to the meatus of the urethra or the tip of the catheter itself. Hydrophilic Coated Intermittents have a lubricious coating applied typically to the first two-thirds of the shaft of the catheter and are activated by breaking a water sachet located inside the package prior to opening the package. When activated, the catheter is lubricious for insertion into the urethra. Potential issues with the Bare Intermittents and the Hydrophilic Coated Intermittents include the amount of mess they create (e.g., from the excess water from the water sachet and lubricant from the lubricant packs) and the time required for the user to complete the voiding process.


Pre-Wetted Intermittents may be packaged in a non-permeable package (e.g. foil, or rigid plastic) and suspended in water. Ideally, the catheters will stay wet over the length of their shelf life and may be much like hydrophilic coated intermittents that have been activated by water. Pre-Wetted Intermittents may have a lubricious coating in addition to being packaged in water. This can eliminate the process step of lubricating the catheter, but may still some mess to contend with (e.g., from the water stored in the package), and the coating may dry out over its shelf life making it unusable.


Catheter in Bag or “Touchless” Intermittents may include either a Bare Intermittent or Hydrophilic Coated Intermittent. There may be an insertion tip on an end of the bag with the distal end of the catheter captured in the insertion tip. Upon use, the user may advance the catheter out of the bag using the insertion tip to help guide the catheter into the urethra. The bag may be used for urine collection. However, use of a Touchless Catheter may be cumbersome and difficult.


The following are references relating to coatings: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,673,053, 8,011,505, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,107, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.


SUMMARY

The urinary catheters described herein provide a novel type of intermittent catheter not currently available. The coating may exhibit hygroscopic characteristics, described herein as the characteristic or intention of the coating to not only retain the moisture inherent in the coating but also to attract moisture from the environment. The coating may exhibit hydrophilic characteristics. The coating described herein is an improved formulation that is applied in a wet state and stays wet for an extended period of time. Accordingly, the urinary catheters described herein do not require an additional lubricant or wetting component, such as a water sachet or gel package, to accompany the catheters in the containers. The urinary catheters described herein may be packaged individually in a discrete container, such as an opaque foil. These and other features of embodiments of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of embodiments of the invention as set forth hereinafter.


In one embodiment a urinary catheter may include a catheter shaft attached to a handle. The urinary catheter may also include a hygroscopic and/or hydrophilic coating disposed on an outer surface of the catheter shaft. The coating may include a hydrogel, glycerin or water, and a polyethylene glycol (PEG). In one embodiment, the hydrogel may be LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel or LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel, and the PEG may be one or both of PEG 300 and PEG 400. In embodiments described herein with respect to specific hydrogels (e.g., LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel), other hydrogels (e.g., LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel) are contemplated as being substituted for, or added to, the specified hydrogel. Likewise, in embodiments described herein with respect to specific polyethylene glycols (e.g., PEG 300), other polyethylene glycols are contemplated as being substituted for, or added to, the specified polyethylene glycol.


In one embodiment, a urinary catheter includes a catheter shaft attached to a handle, and a first coating disposed on an outer surface of the catheter shaft, the first coating including a hydrogel or polyacrylic acid (PAA), glycerin and/or water, and polyethylene glycol (PEG), the first coating exhibiting hygroscopic and/or hydrophilic characteristics. In one embodiment, the outer surface of the catheter shaft includes a second coating over which the first coating is disposed. In one embodiment, the second coating is a hydrophilic coating.


In one embodiment, the coating formulations described herein provide non-adhesion (or anti-blocking) toward the packaging material. In one embodiment, a catheter with the coating can be sterilized through electron beam (“e-beam”) sterilization or ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization. In one embodiment, an additional ultraviolet (UV)-curable silicone film can be applied over a catheter with the coating described herein. The silicone film may restrict the coating on the catheter. In one embodiment, the film may be moved, e.g., toward the catheter handle, thereby acting as a touchless layer while maintaining the lubricity of the catheter. In one embodiment, the UV-curable silicone film is disposed on the coating via an UV curing process.


In one embodiment of the packaged urinary catheter, a coating formulation (e.g., a formulation for a base coating and/or outer coating) for the catheter may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 15 wt % to 35 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt %, and PEG in a range of 20 wt % to 75 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 22 wt % to 26 wt %, water 25 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 49 wt % to 53 wt %. In one embodiment the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel at 23.5 wt %, water at 25 wt %, and PEG 400 at 51.5 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %, and PEG 300 in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 10 wt % to 35 wt %, glycerin in a range of 25 wt % to 75 wt %, PEG 300 in a range of 25 wt % to 65 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 25 wt % to 50 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %, propylene glycol (PEG) in a range of 10 wt % to 15 wt %, and ethanol (anhydrous) in a range of 10 wt % to 15 wt %. In one embodiment, the LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel is 50 wt %, the glycerin is 25 wt %, and both the PEG and ethanol are 12.5 wt %.


In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel in a range of 15 wt % to 35 wt %, glycerin in a range of 15 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 35 wt % to 70 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel at 25 wt %, glycerin at 25 wt %, and both PEG 300 and PEG 400 at 25 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel at 40 wt %, glycerin at 15 wt %, PEG 300 at 15 wt %, and PEG 400 at 30 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %.


In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include polyacrylic acid (PAA) in a range of 0.2 wt % to 3 wt %, glycerin in a range of 15 wt % to 25 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include PAA in a range of 0.1 wt % to 2.5 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt % and PEG, such as PEG 300 and/or PEG 400, in a range of 20 wt % to 65 wt %.


In one embodiment, a silicone film may be formed over a coating on a catheter. In one embodiment, a method of forming a catheter with a coating includes dipping a coated catheter, such as a hydrophilic coated catheter, into a solution containing any of the coating formulations herein, such as a coating formulation including PAA, water, and PEG or a coating formulation including hydrogel, glycerin and/or water, and PEG, then dipping the twice-coated catheter into a UV curable solution, then exposing the coated areas to a UV source, and then directly placing the catheter into a package. In one embodiment, the hydrophilic coated catheter is dipped into a PAA/water/PEG solution for a dwell time in a range of 0.1 seconds to 10 seconds. In one embodiment, after the catheter is dipped into the PAA/water/PEG solution, it is dipped into a silicone solution with UV curable agents several times to achieve a desired film thickness. In one embodiment, the desired thickness is 0.001 in. to 0.004 in. In one embodiment, the catheter is dipped into the silicone solution with UV curable agents 2 to 6 times. In one embodiment, after being dipped into the silicone solution with UV curable agents, the catheter is exposed to a UV source, such as a UV light, in a time range of 0.3 min to 2.0 min. In one embodiment, following the exposure to the UV source, the catheter is placed directly into a film, foil, and/or Tyvek package without a further drying process.


In one embodiment, a method of making a urinary catheter includes applying a first coating to a catheter shaft, the first coating comprising a hydrogel or polyacrylic acid (PAA), glycerin and/or water, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form a coated catheter, and placing the coated catheter into a package comprising a gas impermeable foil material. In one embodiment, the catheter shaft includes a base hydrophilic coating, and the first coating is applied over the base hydrophilic coating. In one embodiment, the applying includes dipping the catheter shaft with the base hydrophilic coating into a solution containing a formulation of the first coating. In one embodiment, the first coating formulation comprises only the PAA, the water, and the PEG, further comprising dipping the coated catheter into a silicone solution including ultraviolet (UV) curable agents to form a silicone film over the first coating. In one embodiment, the method includes exposing the silicone film to a UV light source for a period of time to cure the silicone solution.


In one embodiment, the urinary catheter may include an eyelet or a plurality of staggered, opposing eyelets (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more eyelets) proximal to a catheter tip, the eyelets may be arranged in a variety of ways, including circumferentially positioned 90 degrees apart and positioned in a non-overlapping configuration. In one embodiment, the urinary catheter shaft includes a funnel shaped proximal end and ridges configured to facilitate gripping. In one embodiment, the urinary catheter may have a coating that exhibits hygroscopic characteristics. In another embodiment, the urinary catheter may have a coating that exhibits hydrophilic characteristics.


In one embodiment, a packaged urinary catheter may include a container and a urinary catheter. The urinary catheter may include a catheter shaft attached to a handle and a coating disposed on an outer surface of the catheter shaft. In one embodiment, the coating may include a hydrogel, glycerin or water, and PEG, such as one or both of PEG 300 and PEG 400. In one embodiment, the coating may include PAA, glycerin, water, and PEG, such as PEG 300 and/or PEG 400. In one embodiment, the coating may include PAA, water, and PEG, such as PEG 300 and/or PEG 400.


In one embodiment of the packaged urinary catheter, the container may include a gas impermeable foil material. In one embodiment of the packaged urinary catheter, the container may include an adhesive tab covering a perforated section of the foil material, the adhesive tab may include a pull loop. In one embodiment, the container may include a water sachet, gel package, or other type of lubricant therein. In one embodiment, the container may include a moisture source (in contact or separated from the catheter) from which a hygroscopic coating and/or a hydrophilic coating on the urinary catheter may absorb or obtain moisture. In one embodiment of the packaged urinary catheter, the container does not include any water sachet, gel package, or other type of lubricant or moisture source therein.


In one embodiment, a method of catheterizing may include obtaining a urinary catheter that may include a handle and a catheter shaft. The catheter shaft may include a hydrophilic coating and/or a hygroscopic coating on an outer surface thereof. In one embodiment, the coating may include a coating formulation described herein. The method may further include inserting the urinary catheter into a bladder. In one embodiment, the method of catheterizing may include obtaining the urinary catheter from a container in which the urinary catheter has been stored. In one embodiment, the method of catheterizing does not include application of a lubricant or water to the catheter shaft at any time prior to insertion into the bladder, including while in the package.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed systems and methods can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. Example embodiments of the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:



FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein, and illustrates the exemplary use of a male urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein, and illustrates the exemplary use of a female urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 3a is a urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 3b is a cross sectional view of the urinary catheter shaft according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 4a is a first step in a method of making the container for a urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 4b is a second step in a method of making the container for a urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 4c is a third step in a method of making the container for a urinary catheter according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 5 is a container for a urinary catheter of FIGS. 4-7, according to embodiments described herein in a closed state.



FIG. 6 is the container for a urinary catheter of FIGS. 4-7, being opened according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 7 is the container of FIGS. 4-7 in an opened state, revealing the urinary catheter handle.





While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but rather the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description and accompanying figures, which describe and show certain embodiments, are made to demonstrate, in a non-limiting manner, several possible configurations of a catheter according to various aspects and features of the present disclosure. While the description herein, by way of example, is focused primarily on a description of a urinary catheter and associated methods, the inventions described herein are not so limited and the concepts may be applied to other types of catheters and devices.


The urinary catheter described herein is ready to use immediately when the container is opened, and may be inserted by the patient or patient's caregiver in a homecare setting, managed care/assisted living setting, or in hospitals. Within the homecare setting, the catheter can be used in a range of restroom and non-restroom environments. FIGS. 1 and 2 show urinary catheters and methods of using them according to embodiments described herein.



FIG. 1 illustrates the male urinary catheter 10, the packaging 20 for the male urinary catheter 10, and the exemplary use (e.g., steps 30-33) thereof according to embodiments described herein, and FIG. 2 illustrates the female urinary catheter 50, the packaging 60 for the female urinary catheter 50, and the exemplary use (e.g., steps 70-73) thereof according to embodiments described herein. The methods shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 do not require the user to take any step to apply lubricant, such as water or gel, directly to the catheter, either while the catheter is within the package or when after the package has been opened. Accordingly, the user may move directly from the step of removing the catheter from the package 30, 70 to the step of inserting the catheter 32, 72 without an intervening direct lubrication or hydration step (see example steps 31, 71, which indicate the catheter is ready to use upon removing from the packaging, without requiring the addition of water or lubricant). The catheters used in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be catheters of any of the embodiments discussed herein, e.g., the catheters may have a coating formulation that exhibits hygroscopic and/or hydrophilic characteristics (which eliminates the need for the user to take steps to lubricate or hydrate the catheter). In the case of a catheter with a hygroscopic coating, while some water from the surrounding environment may be naturally attracted by the coating, this is not considered a direct lubrication or hydration step taken in the method. After use, the catheter 10, 50 may be disposed of according to sanitary procedure. Example disposal steps 33, 73 depict one possible procedure for disposal, including returning the catheter to the packaging and discarding the packaging in a trash can or similar receptacle. The packaging may be sealable (e.g., by adhesive, zip-lock, etc.), such that the package may be sealed shut after the urinary catheter is disposed therein.


Referring to FIG. 3a, in one embodiment, a urinary catheter 100 includes a handle 102 on a proximal end and a catheter shaft 104 attached to the handle 102. The urinary catheter may be one of a variety of different types of urinary catheters. The handle 102 may have a funnel-like shape 106 on the proximal end thereof, and may be adapted to connect to drain bags, extension tubes, and/or the like. Also, handle shapes other than a funnel-like shape may be utilized within the scope of the present disclosure. The handle 102 may indicate the size of the catheter, and may have a color to indicate sex (e.g., pink for female, blue for male). In one embodiment, the catheter shaft 104 is made from a silicone material. In one embodiment, the silicone material has a durometer in the range of shore 70A to 85A and a thickness in the range of 1.1 mm to 2.27 mm. It is appreciated that the composition of the catheter shaft 104 may include other materials that possess similar physical properties which falls within scope of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the column strength of the catheter shaft 104 is configured or designed to facilitate insertion, e.g., requiring less force than current polyvinyl chloride (PVC) catheters. In one embodiment, the catheter 100 will be at least partially transparent to an unaided eye.


Referring to FIGS. 3a and 3b, the catheter 100 includes openings 114 in a distal end 110 that are in fluid communication with a lumen 150 that extends through the catheter shaft and handle. In one embodiment, the catheter includes four staggered, opposing eyelets 114 proximal to a catheter tip 108, the eyelets 114 are circumferentially positioned 90 degrees apart and positioned in a non-overlapping configuration. It is appreciated that other numbers and configurations of openings fall within the scope of the present disclosure. The handle 102 includes ridges 112 to provide a gripping surface for easier gripping and handling. The catheter shaft 104 may include the lumen 150, a catheter wall 152, a hydrophilic base coating 154 (e.g., polyacrylic acid), and may also include a pre-hydrated outer coating applied thereover 156 (e.g., over the base coating). The pre-hydrated coating may remain wet without the application of water or lubricant gel.


In one embodiment, the catheter 100 includes a hygroscopic coating 156 (e.g. a top or outer pre-hydrated coating). In one embodiment, the catheter 100 includes a hygroscopic coating 156 including a hydrogel, glycerin, water, and a polyethylene gylcol (PEG) with a molecular weight equal to or less than 600, for example one or more of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 300 and PEG 400. In one embodiment, the hydrogel is a LUBRAJEL® hydrogel. For coating embodiments described herein, the type of LUBRAJEL® hydrogel may be LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel, having an INCI name of Glycerin (and) Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer (and) Propylene Glycol. For coating embodiments described herein, the type of LUBRAJEL® hydrogel may be LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel. In one embodiment, the catheter includes a coating including a hydrogel (e.g., LUBRAJEL® hydrogel), glycerin, propylene glycol (PEG), and ethanol. In one embodiment, the catheter includes a coating including a hydrogel (e.g., LUBRAJEL® hydrogel), glycerin or water, and propylene glycol (PEG), such as PEG 300 and/or PEG 400. In one embodiment, the catheter may be sold and packaged in sizes ranging in diameter from 8 Fr to 24 Fr (e.g., 8 Fr, 10 Fr, 12 Fr, 14 Fr, 16 Fr, 18 Fr, 20 Fr, 22 Fr, 24 Fr) with a length L of greater than 155 mm and intended for female use. However, other sizes of catheters may also be used. In other embodiments, the catheter may be sold and packaged in various sizes for male use.


In one embodiment, the base coating 154 and/or the outer coating 156 may be applied to the catheter shaft by a method involving either dipping, brushing, spraying or extruding. It is appreciated that other methods of applying one or both of the coatings to the catheter may be utilized and fall within the scope of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the catheter shaft may be dipped into a volume of coating formulation. In one embodiment, the components of the coating formulation are mixed together, then the catheter shaft dipped into the volume thereof. For example, the hydrophilic coating or outer coating may be produced by mixing LUBRAJEL® with water and PEG for between 1.5 to 4.0 hours. The catheter (with or without a base coating) may be dipped into the coating solution and left to dwell for between 0.1-10 seconds. The catheter may then be removed from the coating solution and directly placed into packaging without any further drying process.


In one embodiment, the eyelets are punched into the catheter prior to dipping into one or more coating formulations to form a coating (e.g., a base coating and/or outer coating) such that both interior and exterior of the catheter is coated, i.e., at least a portion of the outer surface of the catheter shaft and at least a portion of the inner wall defining the lumen 150 of the catheter shaft are coated with the coating formulation. In other embodiments, one or more coating formulations may be brushed onto an outer surface of the catheter shaft (e.g., doctor blade method). In one embodiment, the coating (e.g., the base coating and/or the outer coating) is only on the catheter shaft (either the entire catheter shaft or a distal portion thereof), not on the handle. The coating described herein provides the urinary catheter with a coefficient of friction (COF) in the range of 0.03 to 0.15.


In one embodiment, a coating formulation (e.g., a formulation for a base coating and/or outer coating) for the catheter may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 15 wt % to 35 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt %, and PEG in a range of 20 wt % to 75 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 15 wt % to 35 wt %, water in a range of 2 wt % to 45 wt %, and PEG in a range of 20 wt % to 75 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 22 wt % to 26 wt %, water 25 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 49 wt % to 53 wt %. In one embodiment the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel at 23.5 wt %, water at 25 wt %, and PEG 400 at 51.5 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %, and PEG 300 in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 10 wt % to 35 wt %, glycerin in a range of 25 wt % to 75 wt %, PEG 300 in a range of 25 wt % to 65 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 25 wt % to 50 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %, propylene glycol (PEG) in a range of 10 wt % to 15 wt %, and ethanol (anhydrous) in a range of 10 wt % to 15 wt %. In one embodiment, the LUBRAJEL® RR CG hydrogel is 50 wt %, the glycerin is 25 wt %, and both the PEG and ethanol are 12.5 wt %.


In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel in a range of 15 wt % to 35 wt %, glycerin in a range of 15 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 35 wt % to 70 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel at 25 wt %, glycerin at 25 wt %, and both PEG 300 and PEG 400 at 25 wt %. In one embodiment, the coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR hydrogel at 40 wt %, glycerin at 15 wt %, PEG 300 at 15 wt %, and PEG 400 at 30 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include LUBRAJEL® RR in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %.


In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include polyacrylic acid (PAA) in a range of 0.2 wt % to 3 wt %, glycerin in a range of 15 wt % to 25 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %. In one embodiment, a coating formulation may include PAA in a range of 0.1 wt % to 2.5 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt % and PEG, such as PEG 300 and/or PEG 400, in a range of 20 wt % to 65 wt %.


In one embodiment, a silicone film may be formed over a coating on a catheter. In one embodiment, a method of forming a catheter with a coating includes dipping a coated catheter, such as a hydrophilic coated catheter, into a solution containing any of the coating formulations herein, such as a coating formulation including PAA, water, and PEG or a coating formulation including hydrogel, glycerin and/or water, and PEG, then dipping the twice-coated catheter into a UV curable solution, then exposing the coated areas to a UV source, and then directly placing the catheter into a package. In one embodiment, the hydrophilic coated catheter is dipped into a PAA/water/PEG solution for a dwell time in a range of 0.1 seconds to 10 seconds. In one embodiment, after the catheter is dipped into the PAA/water/PEG solution, it is dipped into a silicone solution with UV curable agents several times to achieve a desired film thickness. In one embodiment, the desired thickness is 0.001 in. to 0.004 in. In one embodiment, the catheter is dipped into the silicone solution with UV curable agents 2 to 6 times. In one embodiment, after being dipped into the silicone solution with UV curable agents, the catheter is exposed to a UV source, such as a UV light, in a time range of 0.3 min to 2.0 min. In one embodiment, following the exposure to the UV source, the catheter is placed directly into a film, foil, and/or Tyvek package without a further drying process. The silicone with UV curable agents, after curing forms a film that covers the coating on the catheter and can be moved when the catheter is ready for insertion. This acts to facilitate insertion without touching the lubricious coating while maintaining the lubricity of the coating on the catheter.


Referring to FIGS. 4a-7, the urinary catheters described herein may be packaged individually in discrete containers to form packaged urinary catheters such as the packaged urinary catheter 200. For example, the packaging or container may be opaque and resemble an item distinct from a urinary catheter, such as a food item or the like. In one embodiment, the packaging or container 210 is formed of and/or includes a foil material. In other embodiments, the container 210 includes a polyolefin film (e.g., polyethylene (PE)), an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) film, and/or a metallized polypropylene (PP) film. In one embodiment, the packaging material is gas impermeable. In one embodiment, of the lubricity of the coating is maintained or improved over time in the packaging while at normal environmental storage conditions. The packaging 210 may have a color to indicate sex (e.g., pink for female, blue for male). In one embodiment, the packaging 210 can be sterilized either by Electron Beam Processing (E-beam) or treatment with Ethylene Oxide (EtO).


Referring to FIGS. 4a-4c, a method of manufacturing the packaging for a catheter, discussed herein, including the following steps of producing the package, performed in any order: providing a sheet material 211; providing a weakened area 224, such as a perforation or kiss cut, in the sheet material by cutting the material; folding over and connecting the longitudinal edges 250 of the sheet 211 to form a back seam 212 and a cavity 252 (FIG. 4b). Disposing a catheter 100 within the cavity 252 and enclosed therein by sealing the ends to create a first end seam 213, and a second end seam 214 (FIG. 4c). Adhering an adhesive tab 222 over the weakened area 224.


In one embodiment, this arrangement may be similar to a packaging such as might be used on a candy bar, with overlapping edges forming a seam along the back and seams at the edges. The overlapping edges may be folded to one side or the other. The packaging material may present a smooth front. The front of the container may include a sealed opening 220, covered by an adhesive tab 222 (FIG. 4c). The sealed opening may include a weakened area 224, such as a perforation or kiss cut, in the packaging material covered by an adhesive portion of the adhesive tab 222. The adhesive tab 222 may include features, such as a pull loop 226, to hang the container after exposing the catheter 100 in the packaging in order to facilitate user access to the catheter 100 in the container 210. The adhesive tab 222 may be formed of a material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate, with an adhesive, such as an S6 adhesive, on part of or the entire bottom surface of the adhesive tab. In one embodiment, the adhesive tab may include a label. The label may have artwork printed on or otherwise associated with a top surface of the label. The label may be stamped out of a rollstock of material and a varnish may be applied over approximately 1 inch of the distal end 228 of the label to facilitate lifting to begin the peeling process.


The adhesive tab may include a pull loop 226 to facilitate opening of the container 210, which after opening (FIG. 7) may be positioned over a hook or the like in order to suspend the container for ease of use. Alternatively, the adhesive portion of the adhesive tab 222 may be pressed against a hard surface (e.g., a wall, table, desk, equipment, etc.) in order to prevent movement of the container. In one embodiment, the catheter 100 may be reinserted into the container 210 and the adhesive tab 222 pressed back over the opening 220 to re-seal the container 210 for disposal in another location. The embodiment of FIGS. 4-7 is easy to open by simply putting a finger through the pull loop 226 (FIG. 6) and pulling the adhesive tab toward the proximal end of container 216. The pulling action opens the container along the weakened area 224 to reveal the handle 102 of the catheter 100, which has a gripping surface to facilitate handling. Also, the container can be folded in half to minimize space needed to transport in a purse, bag, or the like.


While the invention has been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the variations or figures described. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the application of catheters but may be applied to any device that requires similar lubrication. In addition, where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in a certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. Further, the features described in one embodiment may generally be combined with features described in other embodiments. Therefore, to the extent there are variations of the invention, which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims, it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well.

Claims
  • 1. A urinary catheter, comprising: a handle;a catheter shaft attached to the handle;a base coating over the catheter shaft; andan outer coating over the base coating, each coating of the base coating and the outer coating including a combination of components selected from a hydrogel, polyacrylic acid (“PAA”), glycerin, water, and polyethylene glycol (“PEG”) such that the base coating and the outer coating are in a wet state sufficient for insertion of the catheter shaft into a urethra without applying an additional moisture source or lubricant to the base coating or the outer coating.
  • 2. The urinary catheter of claim 1, wherein the base coating includes PAA in a range of 0.2 wt % to 3 wt %, glycerin in a range of 15 wt % to 25 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %.
  • 3. The urinary catheter of claim 1, wherein the base coating includes PAA in a range of 0.1 wt % to 2.5 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt %, and PEG in a range of 20 wt % to 65 wt %.
  • 4. The urinary catheter of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel is glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer together with glycerin and propylene glycol.
  • 5. The urinary catheter of claim 4, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %.
  • 6. The urinary catheter of claim 4, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %, and PEG 300 in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %.
  • 7. The urinary catheter of claim 4, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 10 wt % to 35 wt %, glycerin in a range of 25 wt % to 75 wt %, PEG 300 in a range of 25 wt % to 65 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 25 wt % to 50 wt %.
  • 8. The urinary catheter of claim 4, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 15 wt % to 35 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 20 wt % to 75 wt %.
  • 9. The urinary catheter of claim 4, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 22 wt % to 26 wt %, water at approximately 25 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 49 wt % to 53 wt %.
  • 10. The urinary catheter of claim 1, further comprising: a silicone film over the outer coating, the silicone film configured to be moved toward the handle of the urinary catheter to expose the outer coating before the insertion of the catheter shaft into the urethra.
  • 11. The urinary catheter of claim 10, wherein the silicone film includes ultraviolet (“UV”) light-cured UV agents.
  • 12. The urinary catheter of claim 1, wherein the handle includes a plurality of ridges designed for gripping the handle.
  • 13. The urinary catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter shaft includes a plurality of eyelets proximate a catheter tip in fluid communication with an opening in a proximal end of the handle by way of a lumen through the urinary catheter.
  • 14. The urinary catheter of claim 13, wherein the plurality of eyelets include two pairs of eyelets circumferentially positioned 90 degrees apart from each other in a non-overlapping configuration.
  • 15. A urinary catheter, comprising: a handle;a catheter shaft attached to the handle;a base coating over the catheter shaft including either: i) polyacrylic acid (“PAA”) in a range of 0.2 wt % to 3 wt %, glycerin in a range of 15 wt % to 25 wt %, water in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and polyethylene glycol (“PEG”) 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %; orii) PAA in a range of 0.1 wt % to 2.5 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt %, and PEG in a range of 20 wt % to 65 wt %; andan outer coating over the base coating including a combination of components selected from a hydrogel, PAA, glycerin, water, and PEG such that the base coating and the outer coating are in a wet state sufficient for insertion of the catheter shaft into a urethra without applying an additional moisture source or lubricant to the base coating or the outer coating.
  • 16. The urinary catheter of claim 15, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %.
  • 17. The urinary catheter of claim 15, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %, glycerin in a range of 40 wt % to 60 wt %, and PEG 300 in a range of 20 wt % to 30 wt %.
  • 18. The urinary catheter of claim 15, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 10 wt % to 35 wt %, glycerin in a range of 25 wt % to 75 wt %, PEG 300 in a range of 25 wt % to 65 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 25 wt % to 50 wt %.
  • 19. The urinary catheter of claim 15, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 15 wt % to 35 wt %, water in a range of 10 wt % to 45 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 20 wt % to 75 wt %.
  • 20. The urinary catheter of claim 15, wherein the outer coating includes hydrogel in a range of 22 wt % to 26 wt %, water at approximately 25 wt %, and PEG 400 in a range of 49 wt % to 53 wt %.
PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/506,723, a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/US2015/047026, filed Aug. 26, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,857,324, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/042,125, filed Aug. 26, 2014, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.

US Referenced Citations (725)
Number Name Date Kind
734498 Bachler Jul 1903 A
1131865 Putnam et al. Mar 1915 A
1235142 Ichilian Jul 1917 A
1304396 Smith May 1919 A
1643289 Peglay Sep 1927 A
1661494 Nielsen Mar 1928 A
1876229 Herzog Sep 1932 A
2043630 Raiche Jun 1936 A
2213210 Egbert Sep 1940 A
2228992 Fry Jan 1941 A
2230226 Auzin Feb 1941 A
2248934 Auzin Jul 1941 A
2285502 Dreyfus Jun 1942 A
2308484 Auzin et al. Jan 1943 A
2314262 Winder Mar 1943 A
2320157 Raiche May 1943 A
2322858 Limbert et al. Jun 1943 A
2330399 Winder Sep 1943 A
2330400 Winder Sep 1943 A
2389831 Welsh Nov 1945 A
2390070 Auzin Dec 1945 A
2481488 Auzin Sep 1949 A
2494393 Lamson Jan 1950 A
2610626 Edwards Sep 1952 A
2638093 Kulick May 1953 A
2649619 Killian Aug 1953 A
2649854 Salm Aug 1953 A
2690595 Raiche Oct 1954 A
2712161 Moss Jul 1955 A
2856932 Griffitts Oct 1958 A
2912981 Keough Nov 1959 A
3044468 Birtwell Jul 1962 A
3053257 Birtwell Sep 1962 A
3076464 Rosenberg Feb 1963 A
3169527 Sheridan Feb 1965 A
3211151 Foderick et al. Oct 1965 A
3304353 Harautuneian Feb 1967 A
3345988 Vitello Oct 1967 A
3394704 Dery Jul 1968 A
3394705 Abramson Jul 1968 A
3403682 McDonell Oct 1968 A
3409016 Foley Nov 1968 A
3434869 Davidson Mar 1969 A
3463141 Mozolf Aug 1969 A
3503400 Osthagen Mar 1970 A
3508959 Krahnke Apr 1970 A
3509884 Bell May 1970 A
3520305 Davis Jul 1970 A
3539674 Dereniuk et al. Nov 1970 A
3544668 Dereniuk Dec 1970 A
3548805 Datsenko Dec 1970 A
3556294 Walck et al. Jan 1971 A
3566874 Shepherd et al. Mar 1971 A
3593713 Bogoff et al. Jul 1971 A
3598127 Wepsic Aug 1971 A
3606889 Arblaster Sep 1971 A
3642004 Osthagen et al. Feb 1972 A
3646929 Bonnar Mar 1972 A
3648704 Jackson Mar 1972 A
3683928 Kuntz Aug 1972 A
3695921 Shepherd et al. Oct 1972 A
3699956 Kitrilakis et al. Oct 1972 A
3699964 Ericson Oct 1972 A
3708324 Stebleton Jan 1973 A
3726281 Norton et al. Apr 1973 A
3739783 Broerman Jun 1973 A
3761013 Schuster Sep 1973 A
3762399 Riedell Oct 1973 A
3768102 Kwan-Gett et al. Oct 1973 A
3788324 Lim Jan 1974 A
3794042 De Klotz et al. Feb 1974 A
3797478 Walsh et al. Mar 1974 A
3838728 Voegele Oct 1974 A
3841304 Jones Oct 1974 A
3854483 Powers Dec 1974 A
3861395 Taniguchi Jan 1975 A
3875937 Schmitt et al. Apr 1975 A
3879516 Wolvek Apr 1975 A
3882220 Ryder May 1975 A
3889685 Miller, Jr. et al. Jun 1975 A
3894540 Bonner, Jr. Jul 1975 A
3898993 Taniguchi Aug 1975 A
3924634 Taylor et al. Dec 1975 A
3926309 Center Dec 1975 A
3926705 Todd Dec 1975 A
3930580 Bazell et al. Jan 1976 A
3934721 Juster et al. Jan 1976 A
3962519 Rusch et al. Jun 1976 A
3967728 Gordon et al. Jul 1976 A
3981299 Murray Sep 1976 A
3983879 Todd Oct 1976 A
4026296 Stoy et al. May 1977 A
4029104 Kerber Jun 1977 A
4055682 Merrill Oct 1977 A
4062363 Bonner, Jr. Dec 1977 A
4091922 Egler May 1978 A
4119094 Micklus et al. Oct 1978 A
4120715 Ockwell et al. Oct 1978 A
4133303 Patel Jan 1979 A
4140127 Cianci et al. Feb 1979 A
4149539 Cianci Apr 1979 A
4168699 Hauser Sep 1979 A
4186745 Lewis et al. Feb 1980 A
4187851 Hauser Feb 1980 A
4196731 Laurin et al. Apr 1980 A
4198983 Becker et al. Apr 1980 A
4198984 Taylor Apr 1980 A
4209010 Ward et al. Jun 1980 A
4225371 Taylor et al. Sep 1980 A
4230115 Walz, Jr. et al. Oct 1980 A
4246909 Wu et al. Jan 1981 A
4249535 Hargest, III Feb 1981 A
4252760 Foster et al. Feb 1981 A
4265848 Rusch May 1981 A
4266999 Baier May 1981 A
4269310 Uson May 1981 A
4284459 Patel et al. Aug 1981 A
4287227 Kamada et al. Sep 1981 A
4311146 Wonder Jan 1982 A
4311659 Rey et al. Jan 1982 A
4318406 McLeod Mar 1982 A
4318947 Joung Mar 1982 A
4341817 Tozier et al. Jul 1982 A
4343788 Mustacich et al. Aug 1982 A
4366901 Short Jan 1983 A
4367732 Poulsen et al. Jan 1983 A
4378018 Alexander et al. Mar 1983 A
4378796 Milhaud Apr 1983 A
4379506 Davidson Apr 1983 A
4381008 Thomas et al. Apr 1983 A
4381380 LeVeen et al. Apr 1983 A
4395806 Wonder et al. Aug 1983 A
4411648 Davis et al. Oct 1983 A
4419097 Rowland Dec 1983 A
4428365 Hakky Jan 1984 A
4457299 Cornwell Jul 1984 A
4472226 Redinger et al. Sep 1984 A
4475910 Conway et al. Oct 1984 A
4477325 Osburn Oct 1984 A
4479795 Mustacich et al. Oct 1984 A
4486504 Chung Dec 1984 A
4515593 Norton May 1985 A
4534768 Osburn et al. Aug 1985 A
4539234 Sakamoto et al. Sep 1985 A
4540409 Nystrom et al. Sep 1985 A
4552269 Chang Nov 1985 A
4553533 Leighton Nov 1985 A
4563184 Korol Jan 1986 A
4568340 Giacalone Feb 1986 A
4571239 Teyman Feb 1986 A
4571240 Samson et al. Feb 1986 A
4576599 Lipner Mar 1986 A
4581026 Schneider Apr 1986 A
4581028 Fox, Jr. et al. Apr 1986 A
4582762 Onohara et al. Apr 1986 A
4586974 Nystrom et al. May 1986 A
4589874 Riedel et al. May 1986 A
4592920 Murtfeldt Jun 1986 A
4597765 Klatt Jul 1986 A
4597931 Watanabe et al. Jul 1986 A
4601713 Fuqua Jul 1986 A
4603152 Laurin et al. Jul 1986 A
4612337 Fox, Jr. et al. Sep 1986 A
4613324 Ghajar Sep 1986 A
4615692 Giacalone et al. Oct 1986 A
4615697 Robinson Oct 1986 A
4622033 Taniguchi Nov 1986 A
4623329 Drobish et al. Nov 1986 A
4626250 Schneider Dec 1986 A
4627844 Schmitt Dec 1986 A
4634433 Osborne Jan 1987 A
4637907 Hegel et al. Jan 1987 A
4638790 Conway et al. Jan 1987 A
4639246 Dudley Jan 1987 A
4640688 Hauser Feb 1987 A
4652259 O'Neil Mar 1987 A
4664657 Williamitis et al. May 1987 A
4673401 Jensen et al. Jun 1987 A
4677143 Laurin et al. Jun 1987 A
4685913 Austin Aug 1987 A
4686124 Onohara et al. Aug 1987 A
4687470 Okada Aug 1987 A
4692152 Emde Sep 1987 A
4699616 Nowak et al. Oct 1987 A
4710169 Christopher Dec 1987 A
4710181 Fuqua Dec 1987 A
4731064 Heyden Mar 1988 A
4737219 Taller et al. Apr 1988 A
4739768 Engelson Apr 1988 A
4747845 Korol May 1988 A
4754877 Johansson et al. Jul 1988 A
4759753 Schneider et al. Jul 1988 A
4769013 Lorenz et al. Sep 1988 A
4769099 Therriault et al. Sep 1988 A
4772473 Patel et al. Sep 1988 A
4773901 Norton Sep 1988 A
4775371 Mueller, Jr. Oct 1988 A
4790834 Austin Dec 1988 A
4790835 Elias Dec 1988 A
D299865 Kamstrup-Larsen et al. Feb 1989 S
4810247 Glassman Mar 1989 A
4811847 Reif et al. Mar 1989 A
4813935 Haber et al. Mar 1989 A
4820270 Hardcastle et al. Apr 1989 A
4820289 Coury et al. Apr 1989 A
4820291 Terauchi et al. Apr 1989 A
4820292 Korol et al. Apr 1989 A
4834721 Onohara et al. May 1989 A
4838876 Wong et al. Jun 1989 A
4846784 Haber Jul 1989 A
4846909 Klug et al. Jul 1989 A
4850969 Jackson Jul 1989 A
4861337 George Aug 1989 A
4863424 Blake, III et al. Sep 1989 A
4863444 Blomer Sep 1989 A
4863449 Therriault et al. Sep 1989 A
4867748 Samuelsen Sep 1989 A
4874373 Luther et al. Oct 1989 A
4876109 Mayer et al. Oct 1989 A
4885049 Johannesson Dec 1989 A
4894059 Larsen et al. Jan 1990 A
4902503 Umemura et al. Feb 1990 A
4904260 Ray et al. Feb 1990 A
4917113 Conway et al. Apr 1990 A
4917686 Bayston et al. Apr 1990 A
RE33206 Conway et al. May 1990 E
4923450 Maeda et al. May 1990 A
4925668 Khan et al. May 1990 A
4930522 Busnel et al. Jun 1990 A
4931056 Ghajar et al. Jun 1990 A
4932938 Goldberg et al. Jun 1990 A
4932948 Kernes et al. Jun 1990 A
4934999 Bader Jun 1990 A
4935260 Shlenker Jun 1990 A
4950256 Luther et al. Aug 1990 A
4963137 Heyden Oct 1990 A
4968294 Salama Nov 1990 A
4968507 Zentner et al. Nov 1990 A
4976703 Franetzki et al. Dec 1990 A
4981471 Quinn et al. Jan 1991 A
4994047 Walker et al. Feb 1991 A
5004454 Beyar et al. Apr 1991 A
5007897 Kalb et al. Apr 1991 A
5013306 Solomon et al. May 1991 A
5013717 Solomon et al. May 1991 A
5019096 Fox, Jr. et al. May 1991 A
5019378 Allen May 1991 A
5019601 Allen May 1991 A
5059190 Novak Oct 1991 A
5071406 Jang Dec 1991 A
5078707 Peter Klug Jan 1992 A
5082006 Jonasson Jan 1992 A
5084037 Barnett Jan 1992 A
5087252 Denard Feb 1992 A
5088980 Leighton Feb 1992 A
5089205 Huang et al. Feb 1992 A
5090424 Simon et al. Feb 1992 A
5098379 Conway et al. Mar 1992 A
5102401 Lambert et al. Apr 1992 A
5102405 Conway et al. Apr 1992 A
5109378 Proctor et al. Apr 1992 A
5109601 McBride May 1992 A
5112306 Burton et al. May 1992 A
5114398 Trick et al. May 1992 A
5128088 Shimomura et al. Jul 1992 A
5131906 Chen Jul 1992 A
5137671 Conway et al. Aug 1992 A
5140999 Ardito Aug 1992 A
5147341 Starke et al. Sep 1992 A
5165952 Solomon et al. Nov 1992 A
5176666 Conway et al. Jan 1993 A
5197957 Wendler Mar 1993 A
5201724 Hukins et al. Apr 1993 A
5209726 Goosen May 1993 A
5211640 Wendler May 1993 A
5226530 Golden Jul 1993 A
5234411 Vaillancourt et al. Aug 1993 A
5236422 Eplett, Jr. Aug 1993 A
5242391 Place et al. Sep 1993 A
5242428 Palestrant Sep 1993 A
5261896 Conway et al. Nov 1993 A
5263947 Kay Nov 1993 A
5269755 Bodicky Dec 1993 A
5269770 Conway et al. Dec 1993 A
5270358 Asmus Dec 1993 A
5290306 Trotta et al. Mar 1994 A
5306226 Salama Apr 1994 A
5334175 Conway et al. Aug 1994 A
5336211 Metz Aug 1994 A
5346483 Thaxton, Sr. Sep 1994 A
5348536 Young et al. Sep 1994 A
5352182 Kalb et al. Oct 1994 A
5360402 Conway et al. Nov 1994 A
5360414 Yarger Nov 1994 A
5366449 Gilberg Nov 1994 A
5368575 Chang Nov 1994 A
5370899 Conway et al. Dec 1994 A
5376085 Conway et al. Dec 1994 A
5380312 Goulter Jan 1995 A
5395333 Brill Mar 1995 A
5409495 Osborn Apr 1995 A
5415635 Bagaoisan et al. May 1995 A
5417226 Juma May 1995 A
5417666 Coulter May 1995 A
5423784 Metz Jun 1995 A
5433705 Giebel et al. Jul 1995 A
5433713 Trotta Jul 1995 A
5447231 Kastenhofer Sep 1995 A
5451424 Solomon et al. Sep 1995 A
5454798 Kubalak et al. Oct 1995 A
5464650 Berg et al. Nov 1995 A
5479945 Simon Jan 1996 A
5482740 Conway et al. Jan 1996 A
5483976 McLaughlin et al. Jan 1996 A
5497601 Gonzalez Mar 1996 A
5501669 Conway et al. Mar 1996 A
5509427 Simon et al. Apr 1996 A
5509899 Fan et al. Apr 1996 A
5513659 Buuck et al. May 1996 A
5513660 Simon et al. May 1996 A
5531715 Engelson et al. Jul 1996 A
5531717 Roberto et al. Jul 1996 A
5538584 Metz Jul 1996 A
5554141 Wendler Sep 1996 A
5562599 Beyschlag Oct 1996 A
5567495 Modak et al. Oct 1996 A
5569219 Hakki et al. Oct 1996 A
5582599 Daneshvar Dec 1996 A
5593718 Conway et al. Jan 1997 A
5599321 Conway et al. Feb 1997 A
5614143 Hager Mar 1997 A
5624395 Mikhail et al. Apr 1997 A
5630429 Dann May 1997 A
5643235 Figuerido Jul 1997 A
5670111 Conway et al. Sep 1997 A
5671755 Simon et al. Sep 1997 A
5695485 Duperret et al. Dec 1997 A
5702381 Cottenden Dec 1997 A
5707357 Mikhail et al. Jan 1998 A
5709672 Illner Jan 1998 A
5711841 Jaker Jan 1998 A
5724994 Simon et al. Mar 1998 A
5730733 Mortier et al. Mar 1998 A
5736152 Dunn Apr 1998 A
5752525 Simon et al. May 1998 A
5756144 Wolff et al. May 1998 A
5762996 Lucas et al. Jun 1998 A
5779670 Bidwell et al. Jul 1998 A
5789018 Engelson et al. Aug 1998 A
5795332 Lucas et al. Aug 1998 A
5795334 Cochrane, III Aug 1998 A
5795524 Basso, Jr. et al. Aug 1998 A
5806527 Borodulin et al. Sep 1998 A
5810789 Powers et al. Sep 1998 A
5820607 Tcholakian et al. Oct 1998 A
5827247 Kay Oct 1998 A
5827249 Jensen Oct 1998 A
5830932 Kay Nov 1998 A
5853518 Utas Dec 1998 A
5877243 Sarangapani Mar 1999 A
5895374 Rødsten Apr 1999 A
5897535 Feliziani et al. Apr 1999 A
5902631 Wang et al. May 1999 A
5906575 Conway et al. May 1999 A
5919170 Woessner Jul 1999 A
5971954 Conway et al. Oct 1999 A
5980483 Dimitri Nov 1999 A
5980507 Fassuliotis et al. Nov 1999 A
5997517 Whitbourne Dec 1999 A
6004305 Hursman et al. Dec 1999 A
6007524 Schneider Dec 1999 A
6007526 Passalaqua et al. Dec 1999 A
6050934 Mikhail et al. Apr 2000 A
6053905 Daignault, Jr. et al. Apr 2000 A
6059107 Nøsted et al. May 2000 A
6063063 Harboe et al. May 2000 A
6065597 Pettersson et al. May 2000 A
6090075 House Jul 2000 A
6097976 Yang et al. Aug 2000 A
6102929 Conway et al. Aug 2000 A
6113582 Dwork Sep 2000 A
6119697 Engel et al. Sep 2000 A
6131575 Lenker et al. Oct 2000 A
6132399 Shultz Oct 2000 A
6186990 Chen et al. Feb 2001 B1
6206885 Ghahremani et al. Mar 2001 B1
6231501 Ditter May 2001 B1
6254570 Rutner et al. Jul 2001 B1
6256525 Yang et al. Jul 2001 B1
6261255 Mullis et al. Jul 2001 B1
6261271 Solomon et al. Jul 2001 B1
6270902 Tedeschi Aug 2001 B1
6280425 Del Guercio Aug 2001 B1
6287285 Michal et al. Sep 2001 B1
6299598 Bander Oct 2001 B1
6306176 Whitbourne Oct 2001 B1
6315711 Conway et al. Nov 2001 B1
6340465 Hsu et al. Jan 2002 B1
6355004 Pedersen et al. Mar 2002 B1
6379334 Frassica Apr 2002 B1
6383434 Conway et al. May 2002 B2
6387080 Rødsten May 2002 B1
6391010 Wilcox May 2002 B1
6402726 Genese Jun 2002 B1
6409717 Israelsson et al. Jun 2002 B1
6437038 Chen Aug 2002 B1
6440060 Latour, Jr. Aug 2002 B1
6458867 Wang et al. Oct 2002 B1
6468245 Alexandersen Oct 2002 B2
6479000 Conway et al. Nov 2002 B2
6479726 Cole Nov 2002 B1
6509319 Raad et al. Jan 2003 B1
6551293 Mitchell Apr 2003 B1
6558369 Rosenblum May 2003 B2
6558792 Vaabengaard et al. May 2003 B1
6558798 Zhong et al. May 2003 B2
6578709 Kavanagh et al. Jun 2003 B1
6579539 Lawson et al. Jun 2003 B2
6582401 Windheuser et al. Jun 2003 B1
6596401 Terry et al. Jul 2003 B1
6602244 Kavanagh et al. Aug 2003 B2
6613014 Chi Sep 2003 B1
6626888 Conway et al. Sep 2003 B1
6632204 Guldfeldt et al. Oct 2003 B2
6634498 Kayerød et al. Oct 2003 B2
6638269 Wilcox Oct 2003 B2
6659937 Polsky et al. Dec 2003 B2
6682555 Cioanta et al. Jan 2004 B2
6693189 Holt et al. Feb 2004 B2
6695831 Tsukada et al. Feb 2004 B1
6706025 Engelson et al. Mar 2004 B2
6716895 Terry Apr 2004 B1
6719709 Whalen et al. Apr 2004 B2
6723350 Burrell et al. Apr 2004 B2
6733474 Kusleika May 2004 B2
6736805 Israelsson et al. May 2004 B2
6740273 Lee May 2004 B2
6767551 McGhee et al. Jul 2004 B2
6780504 Rupprecht et al. Aug 2004 B2
D496266 Nestenborg Sep 2004 S
6787156 Bar-Shalom Sep 2004 B1
6797743 McDonald et al. Sep 2004 B2
6835410 Chabrecek et al. Dec 2004 B2
6848574 Israelsson et al. Feb 2005 B1
6849070 Hansen et al. Feb 2005 B1
6852098 Byrne Feb 2005 B2
6852105 Bolmsjo et al. Feb 2005 B2
D503335 Risberg et al. Mar 2005 S
6869416 Windheuser et al. Mar 2005 B2
6872195 Modak et al. Mar 2005 B2
6887230 Kubalak et al. May 2005 B2
6939339 Axexandersen et al. Sep 2005 B1
6939554 McDonald et al. Sep 2005 B2
6951902 McDonald et al. Oct 2005 B2
6972040 Rioux et al. Dec 2005 B2
7001370 Kubalak et al. Feb 2006 B2
7033367 Ghahremani et al. Apr 2006 B2
7066912 Nestenborg et al. Jun 2006 B2
7087048 Israelsson et al. Aug 2006 B2
7094220 Tanghoj et al. Aug 2006 B2
7112298 Kampa et al. Sep 2006 B2
7160277 Elson et al. Jan 2007 B2
7166092 Elson et al. Jan 2007 B2
7204940 McDonald et al. Apr 2007 B2
7211275 Ying et al. May 2007 B2
7294117 Provost-tine et al. Nov 2007 B2
7311698 Tanghoj et al. Dec 2007 B2
7329412 Modak et al. Feb 2008 B2
7331948 Skarda Feb 2008 B2
7334679 Givens, Jr. Feb 2008 B2
7374040 Lee et al. May 2008 B2
7380658 Murray et al. Jun 2008 B2
7402559 Catania et al. Jul 2008 B2
7445812 Schmidt et al. Nov 2008 B2
7458964 Mosler et al. Dec 2008 B2
7476223 McBride Jan 2009 B2
7507229 Hewitt et al. Mar 2009 B2
7517343 Tanghoj et al. Apr 2009 B2
7571804 Kjellmann Bruun et al. Aug 2009 B2
7601158 House Oct 2009 B2
7615045 Israelsson et al. Nov 2009 B2
7628784 Diaz et al. Dec 2009 B2
7632256 Mosler et al. Dec 2009 B2
D609819 Tomes et al. Feb 2010 S
7662146 House Feb 2010 B2
7670331 Tanghoej Mar 2010 B2
7682353 Tanghoj et al. Mar 2010 B2
7682669 Michal et al. Mar 2010 B1
7691476 Finley Apr 2010 B2
7717902 Sauer May 2010 B2
7749529 Ash et al. Jul 2010 B2
7770726 Murray et al. Aug 2010 B2
7770728 Kærn Aug 2010 B2
7780642 Rasmussen et al. Aug 2010 B2
7789873 Kubalak et al. Sep 2010 B2
7820734 McGhee Oct 2010 B2
7823722 Bezou et al. Nov 2010 B2
7846133 Windheuser et al. Dec 2010 B2
7867220 Tanghoj Jan 2011 B2
7886907 Murray et al. Feb 2011 B2
7918831 House Apr 2011 B2
7938838 House May 2011 B2
7947021 Bourne et al. May 2011 B2
7985217 Mosler et al. Jul 2011 B2
8007464 Gellman Aug 2011 B2
8011505 Murray et al. Sep 2011 B2
8051981 Murray et al. Nov 2011 B2
8052673 Nestenborg Nov 2011 B2
8053030 Gilman Nov 2011 B2
8066693 Tanghoj et al. Nov 2011 B2
8127922 Nordholm et al. Mar 2012 B2
8133580 Dias et al. Mar 2012 B2
8163327 Finley Apr 2012 B2
8177774 House May 2012 B2
8181778 van Groningen et al. May 2012 B1
8192413 Bjerregaard Jun 2012 B2
8201689 Kaern Jun 2012 B2
8205745 Murray et al. Jun 2012 B2
8207393 Bach Jun 2012 B2
8230993 Tanghoej Jul 2012 B2
8267919 Utas et al. Sep 2012 B2
8282624 Tanghoej et al. Oct 2012 B2
8287519 Smith Oct 2012 B2
8287890 Elton Oct 2012 B2
8298202 McCray Oct 2012 B2
8303556 White Nov 2012 B2
8317775 House Nov 2012 B2
8328792 Nishtala et al. Dec 2012 B2
8356457 Murray et al. Jan 2013 B2
8377498 Rindlav-Westling et al. Feb 2013 B2
8377559 Gilman Feb 2013 B2
8382708 Mayback et al. Feb 2013 B2
8409171 Hannon et al. Apr 2013 B2
8454569 Kull-Osterlin et al. Jun 2013 B2
8459455 Frojd Jun 2013 B2
8475434 Frojd Jul 2013 B2
8523843 Kavanagh et al. Sep 2013 B2
8556884 Hong et al. Oct 2013 B2
8720685 Murray et al. May 2014 B2
8805533 Boggs, II et al. Aug 2014 B2
8871869 Dias et al. Oct 2014 B2
8888747 House Nov 2014 B2
8919553 Murray et al. Dec 2014 B2
8974438 Hong et al. Mar 2015 B2
9072862 Murray et al. Jul 2015 B2
9108020 Feloney Aug 2015 B1
9138510 Madsen Sep 2015 B2
9144659 Tanghoj Sep 2015 B2
9168354 Hannon et al. Oct 2015 B2
9186438 Gravesen et al. Nov 2015 B2
9192506 Tanghoej et al. Nov 2015 B2
9192740 Frojd Nov 2015 B2
9199057 Nielsen Dec 2015 B2
9205222 Tanghoj Dec 2015 B2
9289575 Dye Mar 2016 B2
9314585 Nestenborg et al. Apr 2016 B2
10702671 Terry Jul 2020 B2
10857324 Yin et al. Dec 2020 B2
20010001443 Kayerod et al. May 2001 A1
20010027299 Yang Oct 2001 A1
20010031933 Cannon Oct 2001 A1
20010054562 Pettersson et al. Dec 2001 A1
20020032406 Kusleika Mar 2002 A1
20020103467 Kubalak Aug 2002 A1
20020132049 Leonard et al. Sep 2002 A1
20020169438 Sauer Nov 2002 A1
20020182265 Burrell et al. Dec 2002 A1
20030004496 Tanghoj Jan 2003 A1
20030018293 Tanghoj et al. Jan 2003 A1
20030018302 Kavanagh et al. Jan 2003 A1
20030018322 Tanghoj et al. Jan 2003 A1
20030055403 Nestenborg et al. Mar 2003 A1
20030060807 Tanghoj et al. Mar 2003 A1
20030083644 Avaltroni May 2003 A1
20030087099 Merrill May 2003 A1
20030130646 Kubalak et al. Jul 2003 A1
20030168365 Kaern Sep 2003 A1
20040030301 Hunter Feb 2004 A1
20040074794 Conway et al. Apr 2004 A1
20040097892 Evans et al. May 2004 A1
20040122382 Johnson Jun 2004 A1
20040133156 Diaz et al. Jul 2004 A1
20040153049 Hewitt et al. Aug 2004 A1
20040153051 Israelsson et al. Aug 2004 A1
20040158231 Tanghoj et al. Aug 2004 A1
20040163980 Tanghoj et al. Aug 2004 A1
20040193143 Sauer Sep 2004 A1
20040234572 Martinod et al. Nov 2004 A1
20040236293 Tanghoj et al. Nov 2004 A1
20040249343 Cioanta Dec 2004 A1
20040254562 Tanghoj et al. Dec 2004 A1
20040256264 Israelsson et al. Dec 2004 A1
20050015076 Giebmeyer et al. Jan 2005 A1
20050031872 Schmidt et al. Feb 2005 A1
20050043715 Nestenborg et al. Feb 2005 A1
20050049577 Snell et al. Mar 2005 A1
20050070882 McBride Mar 2005 A1
20050080399 Bolmsjo et al. Apr 2005 A1
20050101924 Elson et al. May 2005 A1
20050109648 Kerzman et al. May 2005 A1
20050137582 Kull-Osterlin et al. Jun 2005 A1
20050148950 Windheuser et al. Jul 2005 A1
20050177104 Conway Aug 2005 A1
20050199521 Givens Sep 2005 A1
20050214443 Madsen Sep 2005 A1
20050282977 Stempel et al. Dec 2005 A1
20050283136 Skarda Dec 2005 A1
20060025753 Kubalak et al. Feb 2006 A1
20060041246 Provost-tine et al. Feb 2006 A1
20060058777 Nielsen Mar 2006 A1
20060196783 Bruun et al. Sep 2006 A1
20060229576 Conway et al. Oct 2006 A1
20060240069 Utas et al. Oct 2006 A1
20070005024 Weber et al. Jan 2007 A1
20070016168 Conway Jan 2007 A1
20070059350 Kennedy et al. Mar 2007 A1
20070088330 House Apr 2007 A1
20070161971 House Jul 2007 A1
20070218102 Chudzik et al. Sep 2007 A1
20070287800 Acquarulo et al. Dec 2007 A1
20070289887 Murray et al. Dec 2007 A1
20080015527 House Jan 2008 A1
20080091145 House Apr 2008 A1
20080103464 Mosler et al. May 2008 A1
20080125513 Kristiansen May 2008 A1
20080172040 Smith Jul 2008 A1
20080172042 House Jul 2008 A1
20080177217 Polaschegg Jul 2008 A1
20080179208 Murray et al. Jul 2008 A1
20080183262 Dowling Jul 2008 A1
20080193497 Samuelsen et al. Aug 2008 A1
20080215021 Cisko Jr. et al. Sep 2008 A1
20080243081 Nance et al. Oct 2008 A1
20080279907 Ash et al. Nov 2008 A1
20080281291 Tihon et al. Nov 2008 A1
20090000970 Bordeau et al. Jan 2009 A1
20090005725 Shorey Jan 2009 A1
20090012208 Madsen et al. Jan 2009 A1
20090043287 Mosler et al. Feb 2009 A1
20090048537 Lydon et al. Feb 2009 A1
20090048570 Jensen Feb 2009 A1
20090062754 Tang Mar 2009 A1
20090101531 Nordholm et al. Apr 2009 A1
20090131917 Kavanagh et al. May 2009 A1
20090163884 Kull-Osterlin et al. Jun 2009 A1
20090200187 Nestenborg et al. Aug 2009 A1
20090208368 Waldrep et al. Aug 2009 A1
20090221992 Hannon et al. Sep 2009 A1
20100010086 Ash et al. Jan 2010 A1
20100030197 House Feb 2010 A1
20100036363 Watanabe et al. Feb 2010 A1
20100086580 Nyman et al. Apr 2010 A1
20100133172 Song et al. Jun 2010 A1
20100155268 Murray et al. Jun 2010 A1
20100256576 Aggarwal et al. Oct 2010 A1
20110056852 Frojd Mar 2011 A1
20110059874 Rooijmans et al. Mar 2011 A1
20110060317 Frojd Mar 2011 A1
20110114520 Matthison-Hansen May 2011 A1
20110137243 Hossainy Jun 2011 A1
20110137296 Tanghoj Jun 2011 A1
20110144579 Elton Jun 2011 A1
20110152843 Wedlin et al. Jun 2011 A1
20110178507 Bracken et al. Jul 2011 A1
20110184386 House Jul 2011 A1
20110213025 Finch, Jr. Sep 2011 A1
20110284409 Murray et al. Nov 2011 A1
20110295239 Gustavsson Dec 2011 A1
20120179144 Carleo Jul 2012 A1
20120219742 Gravesen et al. Aug 2012 A1
20120228165 Murray et al. Sep 2012 A1
20120239005 Conway et al. Sep 2012 A1
20120271101 Tan Oct 2012 A1
20120310210 Campbell et al. Dec 2012 A1
20120316515 Terry Dec 2012 A1
20130006226 Hong et al. Jan 2013 A1
20130037306 Kim Feb 2013 A1
20130085469 Polaschegg Apr 2013 A1
20130131647 Nielsen May 2013 A1
20130138083 Tennican May 2013 A1
20130138088 Nielsen May 2013 A1
20130146599 Murray et al. Jun 2013 A1
20130153446 Utas et al. Jun 2013 A1
20130161208 Gustavsson Jun 2013 A1
20130161227 Gustavsson Jun 2013 A1
20130186778 Terry Jul 2013 A1
20130231641 Gustavsson Sep 2013 A1
20130253426 Campbell et al. Sep 2013 A1
20130261608 Tanghoj Oct 2013 A1
20130264227 Frojd Oct 2013 A1
20140066904 Young Mar 2014 A1
20140066905 Young Mar 2014 A1
20140193474 Babcock et al. Jul 2014 A1
20140194857 Eilat Jul 2014 A1
20140271351 Nielsen Sep 2014 A1
20140322468 Minagawa Oct 2014 A1
20150001107 Gustavsson Jan 2015 A1
20150051587 Rolsted et al. Feb 2015 A1
20150068927 McBurney et al. Mar 2015 A1
20150105756 O'Brien et al. Apr 2015 A1
20150126975 Wuthier May 2015 A1
20150133898 Murray et al. May 2015 A1
20150202405 Schertiger et al. Jul 2015 A1
20150231377 Tierney et al. Aug 2015 A1
20150258305 Dye Sep 2015 A1
20150265801 Rostami Sep 2015 A1
20150273183 Foley et al. Oct 2015 A1
20150297861 Passalaqua et al. Oct 2015 A1
20150297862 Sadik et al. Oct 2015 A1
20150314103 Hannon et al. Nov 2015 A1
20150335854 Dvarsater et al. Nov 2015 A1
20150335856 Utas et al. Nov 2015 A1
20150335872 Yang et al. Nov 2015 A1
20150343171 Hannon Dec 2015 A1
20150352324 Palmer Dec 2015 A1
20150359996 Arora et al. Dec 2015 A1
20160001037 Hong et al. Jan 2016 A1
20160038652 Gilman Feb 2016 A1
20160038713 Kearns et al. Feb 2016 A1
20160120688 Lee May 2016 A1
20160175488 Klein et al. Jun 2016 A1
20160184551 Nyman et al. Jun 2016 A1
20160220784 Palmer Aug 2016 A1
20180021481 Yin et al. Jan 2018 A1
20180104444 Yin et al. Apr 2018 A1
Foreign Referenced Citations (246)
Number Date Country
PI0803737 Jan 2010 BR
763930 Jul 1967 CA
1106744 Aug 1995 CN
2907580 Jun 2007 CN
101035573 Sep 2007 CN
101365501 Feb 2009 CN
102939129 Feb 2013 CN
102973986 Mar 2013 CN
102973987 Mar 2013 CN
352014 Apr 1922 DE
1913976 Apr 1965 DE
4135502 Feb 1993 DE
4303899 Aug 1994 DE
19826746 Nov 1999 DE
10213411 Oct 2003 DE
10259002 Oct 2003 DE
0055023 Jun 1982 EP
0182409 May 1986 EP
0184629 Jun 1986 EP
0187846 Jul 1986 EP
0193406 Sep 1986 EP
0218203 Apr 1987 EP
0236458 Sep 1987 EP
0252918 Jan 1988 EP
0298634 Jan 1989 EP
0303487 Feb 1989 EP
0335564 Oct 1989 EP
0352043 Jan 1990 EP
0390720 Oct 1990 EP
0407218 Jan 1991 EP
0217771 Dec 1991 EP
0471553 Feb 1992 EP
0479935 Apr 1992 EP
0528965 Mar 1993 EP
0553960 Aug 1993 EP
0590104 Apr 1994 EP
0598191 May 1994 EP
0663196 Jul 1995 EP
0677299 Oct 1995 EP
0680895 Nov 1995 EP
0685179 Dec 1995 EP
0699086 Mar 1996 EP
0767639 Apr 1997 EP
0768069 Apr 1997 EP
0795339 Sep 1997 EP
0815037 Jan 1998 EP
0909249 Apr 1999 EP
0923398 Jun 1999 EP
0935478 Aug 1999 EP
0977610 Feb 2000 EP
1023882 Aug 2000 EP
1047360 Nov 2000 EP
1115450 Jul 2001 EP
1131022 Sep 2001 EP
1245205 Oct 2002 EP
0959930 Dec 2002 EP
1308146 May 2003 EP
1347723 Oct 2003 EP
1406690 Apr 2004 EP
1090656 May 2004 EP
1427467 Jun 2004 EP
1485158 Dec 2004 EP
1498151 Jan 2005 EP
1578308 Sep 2005 EP
1145729 Nov 2005 EP
1606196 Dec 2005 EP
1615690 Jan 2006 EP
1629799 Mar 2006 EP
1641510 Apr 2006 EP
1786501 May 2007 EP
1788990 May 2007 EP
1793938 Jun 2007 EP
1799163 Jun 2007 EP
1904003 Apr 2008 EP
1948279 Jul 2008 EP
1955683 Aug 2008 EP
2275058 Jan 2011 EP
2292293 Mar 2011 EP
2292294 Mar 2011 EP
2423125 Feb 2012 EP
2423126 Feb 2012 EP
2423127 Feb 2012 EP
2450076 May 2012 EP
2468347 Jun 2012 EP
2644224 Oct 2013 EP
2644224 Mar 2014 EP
2644224 Nov 2018 EP
1558162 Feb 1969 FR
96086 May 1972 FR
2351634 Dec 1977 FR
2731345 Sep 1996 FR
2794638 Dec 2000 FR
2855399 Dec 2004 FR
322426 Dec 1929 GB
1131865 Oct 1968 GB
2106784 Apr 1983 GB
2150938 Jul 1985 GB
2187670 Sep 1987 GB
2231801 Nov 1990 GB
2239804 Jul 1991 GB
2284764 Aug 1998 GB
2462267 Feb 2010 GB
S59-218157 Dec 1984 JP
S59-228856 Dec 1984 JP
S59218157 Dec 1984 JP
H02-18157 Jan 1990 JP
H10-277144 Oct 1998 JP
2001-50329 Feb 2001 JP
2002-543885 Dec 2002 JP
2007167158 Jul 2007 JP
2008-51549 Mar 2008 JP
2008-508077 Mar 2008 JP
2008-526377 Jul 2008 JP
2009-125583 Jun 2009 JP
2010-538106 Dec 2010 JP
1984001102 Mar 1984 WO
1986000816 Feb 1986 WO
1986006284 Nov 1986 WO
1987001582 Mar 1987 WO
1989003232 Apr 1989 WO
1989009626 Oct 1989 WO
1990004431 May 1990 WO
1991010466 Jul 1991 WO
1991017728 Nov 1991 WO
9208426 May 1992 WO
1992008426 May 1992 WO
1992010220 Jun 1992 WO
1992011826 Jul 1992 WO
1992019192 Nov 1992 WO
1993000054 Jan 1993 WO
1993011821 Jun 1993 WO
1993014806 Aug 1993 WO
1994006377 Mar 1994 WO
1994016747 Aug 1994 WO
1994026215 Nov 1994 WO
1995008968 Apr 1995 WO
1995009667 Apr 1995 WO
1995017862 Jul 1995 WO
1995034253 Dec 1995 WO
1996000541 Jan 1996 WO
1996004119 Feb 1996 WO
9607447 Mar 1996 WO
1996019254 Jun 1996 WO
1996026688 Sep 1996 WO
1996030277 Oct 1996 WO
1996034587 Nov 1996 WO
9641653 Dec 1996 WO
1996038192 Dec 1996 WO
1996039096 Dec 1996 WO
1997025947 Jul 1997 WO
1997026937 Jul 1997 WO
1997041811 Nov 1997 WO
1998006642 Feb 1998 WO
1999007313 Feb 1999 WO
1999030761 Jun 1999 WO
1999036009 Jul 1999 WO
2000025848 May 2000 WO
0030696 Jun 2000 WO
2000030575 Jun 2000 WO
2000047494 Aug 2000 WO
2001043807 Jun 2001 WO
2001052763 Jul 2001 WO
2001093935 Dec 2001 WO
2002036192 May 2002 WO
2002053070 Jul 2002 WO
2002060361 Aug 2002 WO
2003002178 Jan 2003 WO
2003008029 Jan 2003 WO
2003022333 Mar 2003 WO
2003064279 Aug 2003 WO
03093357 Nov 2003 WO
2003092779 Nov 2003 WO
2004004611 Jan 2004 WO
2004004796 Jan 2004 WO
2004030722 Apr 2004 WO
2004032992 Apr 2004 WO
2004045696 Jun 2004 WO
2004050155 Jun 2004 WO
2004052440 Jun 2004 WO
2004056290 Jul 2004 WO
2004056414 Jul 2004 WO
2004056909 Jul 2004 WO
2004075944 Sep 2004 WO
2004089454 Oct 2004 WO
2005004964 Jan 2005 WO
2005014055 Feb 2005 WO
2005061035 Jul 2005 WO
2005092418 Oct 2005 WO
2006005349 Jan 2006 WO
2006009509 Jan 2006 WO
2006009596 Jan 2006 WO
2006017439 Feb 2006 WO
2006021590 Mar 2006 WO
2006027349 Mar 2006 WO
2006037321 Apr 2006 WO
2006097109 Sep 2006 WO
2006110695 Oct 2006 WO
2006112782 Oct 2006 WO
2006130776 Dec 2006 WO
2007001526 Jan 2007 WO
2007038988 Apr 2007 WO
2007083033 Jul 2007 WO
2008089770 Jul 2008 WO
2008104573 Sep 2008 WO
2008104603 Sep 2008 WO
2008138351 Nov 2008 WO
2008138352 Nov 2008 WO
2008151074 Dec 2008 WO
2009000277 Dec 2008 WO
2009012336 Jan 2009 WO
2009043872 Apr 2009 WO
2009068043 Jun 2009 WO
2009080265 Jul 2009 WO
2009108243 Sep 2009 WO
2010006620 Jan 2010 WO
2010041084 Apr 2010 WO
2010054659 May 2010 WO
2010054666 May 2010 WO
2010129362 Nov 2010 WO
2010130261 Nov 2010 WO
2010149174 Dec 2010 WO
2010149175 Dec 2010 WO
2010151682 Dec 2010 WO
2011011023 Jan 2011 WO
2011014201 Feb 2011 WO
2011019359 Feb 2011 WO
2011026929 Mar 2011 WO
2011026930 Mar 2011 WO
2011063816 Jun 2011 WO
2011073403 Jun 2011 WO
2011076211 Jun 2011 WO
2011079129 Jun 2011 WO
2011109393 Sep 2011 WO
2012016570 Feb 2012 WO
2012016571 Feb 2012 WO
2012079590 Jun 2012 WO
2012085124 Jun 2012 WO
2012139214 Oct 2012 WO
2012134804 Oct 2012 WO
2013010745 Jan 2013 WO
2013029621 Mar 2013 WO
15069843 May 2015 WO
15090338 Jun 2015 WO
2015105942 Jul 2015 WO
15142506 Sep 2015 WO
201603323 Jan 2016 WO
Non-Patent Literature Citations (27)
Entry
Akzo Nobel, “Ethomeen C/25 technical data sheet” Mar. 10, 2009.
Amirkhai IL et al., “Nitric Oxide Complexes of Trimethylaluminium” Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 149 (1978).
Angus “Chemie GmbHTechnical Data Sheet”, AMP-95, TDS 10A (2000).
AU 2015306630 filed Feb. 2, 2017 Office Action dated Aug. 2, 2018.
BR1120170040301 filed Feb. 21, 2017 Office Action dated Aug. 20, 2019.
CN 20158004662.3 filed Feb. 24, 2017 Office Action dated Jul. 8, 2019.
CN 20158004662.3 filed Feb. 24, 2017 Office Action dated Sep. 20, 2019.
EP 15836062.8 filed Feb. 17, 2017 Extended European Search Report dated Feb. 20, 2018.
EP 15836062.8 filed Feb. 17, 2017 Office Action dated Feb. 19, 2019.
Hollister, “Vapro intermittent catheter brochure” (2009).
Johnson et al. “Activities of a Nitrofurazone-Containing Urinary Catheter and a Silver Hydrogel Catheter against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Characteristic of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection” Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Dec. 1999.
JP 2017-511223 filed Feb. 24, 2017 Office Action dated Jun. 4, 2019.
Lubrizol, “Neutralizing Carbopol®* and Pemulen ™* Polymers in Aqueous and Hydroalcoholic Systems” Technical Data Sheet TDS-237 Edition: Sep. 16, 2009.
MX/a/2017/002457 filed Feb. 23, 2017 Office Action dated Sep. 4, 2019.
Newman “Intermittent Catheterization and Current Best Practices: Catheter Design and Types”; http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/745908_8, last accessed May 31, 2013.
PCTUS2018054378 filed Oct. 4, 2018 International Preliminary Report on Patentability dated Jan. 2, 2019.
PCTUS2018054378 filed Oct. 4, 2018 International Search Report and Written opinion dated Jan. 2, 2019.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/506,723, filed Feb. 24, 2017 Final Office Action dated Dec. 9, 2019.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/506,723, filed Feb. 24, 2017 Non-Final Office Action dated Aug. 27, 2019.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/506,723, filed Feb. 24, 2017 Notice of Allowance dated Jul. 29, 2020.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/724,879, filed Oct. 4, 2017 Advisory Action dated Jan. 29, 2019.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/724,879, filed Oct. 4, 2017 Examiner's Answer dated Jul. 25, 2019.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/724,879, filed Oct. 4, 2017 Final Office Action dated Dec. 4, 2018.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/724,879, filed Oct. 4, 2017 Non-Final Office Action dated Jul. 19, 2018.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/724,879, filed Oct. 4, 2017 Notice of Allowance dated Aug. 14, 2020.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/724,879, filed Oct. 4, 2017 PTAB Decision on Appeal dated Jul. 1, 2020.
U.S. Appl. No. 15/724,879, filed Oct. 4, 2017 Restriction Requirement dated Mar. 7, 2018.
Related Publications (1)
Number Date Country
20210113808 A1 Apr 2021 US
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
62042125 Aug 2014 US
Continuations (1)
Number Date Country
Parent 15506723 US
Child 17114275 US