Method for producing a microfoam suitable for use in scleropathy of blood vessels by introducing a physiologically acceptable blood-dispersible gas into a container holding an aqueous sclerosant liquid and releasing the mixture of blood-dispersible gas and sclerosant liquid such that, upon release of the mixture, the components of the mixture interact to form a microfoam. The container is provided with a steam-sterilizable aerosol valve having a valve body of polymeric material having an HDT (heat deflection temperature) at 1.8 MPa stress in the range of 200-275 ° C.
1. A method for producing a microfoam suitable for use in scleropathy of blood vessels, comprising introducing a physiologically acceptable blood-dispersible gas into a container holding an aqueous sclerosant liquid and releasing the mixture of blood-dispersible gas and sclerosant liquid, whereby upon release of the mixture the components of the mixture interact to form a microfoam, the container being provided with a steam-sterilizable aerosol valve having a valve body of polymeric material, wherein the valve body consists of a polymeric material having an HDT (heat deflection temperature) at 1.8 MPa stress in the range of 200-275° C.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sclerosant liquid is a solution of polidocanol or sodium tetradecyl sulfate in an aqueous carrier.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the solution is from 0.25 to 5% vol/vol polidocanol.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mixture of blood-dispersible gas and sclerosant liquid is pressurized to a pre-determined level in the range 800 mbar to 4.5 bar gauge (1.8 bar to 5.5 bar absolute).
5. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the pressure is in the range of 1 bar to 2.5 bar gauge.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the microfoam is such that less than 20% of the bubbles are less than 30 μm diameter, greater than 75% are between 30 and 280 μm diameter, less than 5% are between 281 and 500 μm diameter, and there are substantially no bubbles greater than 500 μm diameter.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas/liquid ratio in the mix is controlled such that the density of the microfoam is 0.07 g/ml to 0.19 g/ml.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the microfoam has a half-life of at least 2 minutes.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steam-sterilizable aerosol valve comprises a valve body that consists of polyphenylsulphone (PPSU).
10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steam-sterilizable aerosol valve comprises a valve body, a valve insert and a stem valve that consist of polyphenylsulphone (PPSU).