Catheter components formed of polymer with particles or fibers
View Patent ↗A guidewire lumen for a catheter includes a tubular member. At least a portion of the tubular member is formed of a compound comprising a polymer and particles or fibers. The particles or fibers can reduce a friction coefficient of the portion of the tubular member while having minimal to no adverse effects with respect to bondability, flexibility, and processability.
1. A member defining a guidewire lumen for a catheter, comprising a tubular member, at least a portion of which tubular member being formed of a compound consisting of PEBAX and between about 2-15% of one of particles and fibers and formed by a process consisting of compounding the PEBAX and the one of particles and fibers.
2. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the one of particles and fibers is one of graphite, barium, bismuth, carbon black, silica, and fluoropolymer.
3. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the compound comprises between about 2-10% of one of particles and fibers by weight.
4. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the compound comprises between about 4-5% of one of particles and fibers by weight.
5. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the one of particles and fibers are between 1-15 μM in size.
6. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the one of particles and fibers are between 1-10 μm in size.
7. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 5 , wherein an average size of the one of particles and fibers is about 5 μm.
8. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a coefficient of friction between the portion of the tubular member and a guidewire is lower than a coefficient of friction between a substantially identical tubular member formed of PEBAX without the one of particles and fibers and the guidewire.
9. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the coefficient of friction between the portion of the tubular member and the guidewire is at least 10% lower than the coefficient of friction between the portion of the substantially identical tubular member and the guidewire.
10. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the portion of the tubular member is extruded as a single layer tube.
11. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein at least an inner portion of the tubular member is formed of the compound.
12. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the compound comprises fibers comprising fluoropolymer.
13. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the compound comprises particles of one of graphite, barium, bismuth, carbon black, and silica.
14. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the compound is formed in a double screw extruder.
15. A catheter comprising:
a member defining a guidewire lumen comprising a tubular member, at least a portion of which tubular member being formed of a compound consisting of PEBAX and one of particles and fibers and formed by a process consisting of compounding the PEBAX and the one of particles and fibers; and
a catheter component bonded to the portion of the guidewire lumen without adhesive, and
wherein a bond strength of a bond between the catheter component and the portion of the member defining the guidewire lumen is no more than 10% less than a bond strength of a bond between a second catheter component substantially identical to the catheter component and a portion of a second member defining a guidewire lumen substantially identical to the member defining the guidewire lumen and formed of PEBAX without one of particles and fibers.
16. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the catheter component comprises a balloon.
17. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the catheter component comprises a catheter shaft.
18. The catheter as set forth in claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the catheter shaft is formed of a second compound consisting of a polymer and one of particles and fibers.
19. The catheter as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the second compound is formed in a double screw extruder.
20. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , comprising a catheter shaft, at least a portion of the catheter shaft being formed of a second compound consisting of a polymer and one of particles and fibers.
21. The catheter as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the second compound is formed in a double screw extruder.
22. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the compound comprises between about 2-15% of one of particles and fibers by weight.
23. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the one of particles and fibers is one of graphite, barium, bismuth, carbon black, silica, and fluoropolymer.
24. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein a coefficient of friction between the portion of the member defining the guidewire lumen and a guidewire is lower than a coefficient of friction between the portion of the second member defining the guidewire lumen and the guidewire.
25. The catheter as set forth in claim 24 , wherein the coefficient of friction between the portion of the member defining the guidewire lumen and the guidewire is at least 10% lower than the coefficient of friction between the portion of the second member defining the guidewire lumen and the guidewire.
26. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the portion of the member defining the guidewire lumen is extruded as a single layer tube.
27. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein at least an inner portion of the tubular member is formed of the compound.
28. The catheter as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the compound is formed in a double screw extruder.
29. A method of making a catheter, comprising:
forming a compound consisting of PEBAX and between about 2-15% of one of particles and fibers by weight by a process consisting of compounding the PEBAX and the one of particles and fibers,
forming a tubular extrusion of the compound; and
bonding the tubular extrusion to a catheter component.
30. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the catheter component comprises a balloon.
31. The method as set forth in claim 30 , wherein the catheter component comprises a catheter shaft.
32. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the catheter component comprises a catheter shaft.
33. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the one of particles and fibers is one of graphite, barium, bismuth, carbon black, silica, and fluoropolymer.
34. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein tubular extrusion is a single layer extrusion.
35. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the one of particles and fibers are between 1-15 μm in size.
36. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the one of particles and fibers are between 1-10 μm in size.
37. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein an average size of the one of particles and fibers is about 5 μm.
38. The method as set forth in claim 29 , comprising forming at least an inner portion of the tubular member of the compound.
39. The method as set forth in claim 29 , comprising forming the compound such that a coefficient of friction between the tubular extrusion and a guidewire is lower than a coefficient of friction between a substantially identical tubular extrusion formed of PEBAX without the one of particles and fibers and the guidewire.
40. The method as set forth in claim 39 , wherein the coefficient of friction between the tubular extrusion and the guidewire is at least 10% lower than the coefficient of friction of the portion between the substantially identical tubular extrusion and the guidewire.
41. The method as set forth in claim 29 , comprising forming the compound in a double screw extruder.
42. A member defining a guidewire lumen for a catheter, comprising a tubular member, at least a portion of which tubular member being formed of a compound consisting of PEBAX and one of particles and fibers, the compound being formed by a process consisting of compounding the PEBAX and the one of particles and fibers, wherein a coefficient of friction between the portion of the tubular member and a guidewire is at least 10% lower than a coefficient of friction between a substantially identical tubular member formed of PEBAX without the one of particles and fibers and the guidewire.
43. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 42 , wherein the one of particles and fibers is one of graphite, barium, bismuth, carbon black, silica, and fluoropolymer.
44. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 42 , wherein the compound comprises between about 2-15% of one of particles and fibers by weight.
45. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 44 , wherein the compound comprises between about 2-10% of one of particles and fibers by weight.
46. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 42 , wherein the compound comprises between about 4-5% of one of particles and fibers by weight.
47. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 42 , wherein the one of particles and fibers are between 1-15 μm in size.
48. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 47 , wherein the one of particles and fibers are between 1-10 μm in size.
49. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 47 , wherein an average size of the one of particles and fibers is about 5 μm.
50. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 42 , wherein at least an inner portion of the tubular member is formed of the compound.
51. The member defining a guidewire lumen as set forth in claim 42 , wherein the compound is formed in a double screw extruder.
52. A tubular catheter component consisting of:
PEBAX compounded with about 2-15% graphite particles by a process consisting of compounding the PEBAX and the graphite particles, wherein the graphite particles have sizes of about 1-15 μm.
53. The component as set forth in claim 52 , wherein the component defines a guidewire lumen.
54. The component as set forth in claim 52 , wherein the component is an inner layer of a coronary guide catheter.
55. The component as set forth in claim 52 , wherein the component is an outer layer of a balloon catheter shaft.
56. The component as set forth in claim 52 , wherein the component is tubular and at least an inner portion of the tubular component is formed of the PEBAX compounded with about 2-15% graphite particles.
57. The component as set forth in claim 52 , wherein the compound is formed in a double screw extruder.