LUBRICIOUS MEDICAL TUBING
A composition of a polyamide and PTFE produces a lubricious surface on extruded medical tubing. The small size of the PTFE powder when compounded with polyamide disperses uniformly and produces an intrinsically lubricious polymer. Such a composition can be useful in medical, intralumenal tubing.
1 . A composition of material comprising:
a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (“PTFE”) powder by weight of the composition in the range of 1 to 25 percent;
and a polyamide in which the PTFE powder is dispersed; and
wherein the percentage of polyamide and the percentage of PTFE powder equals one hundred percent.
2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein polyamide is a blend of homopolymer and co-polymers.
3 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the blend includes nylon 12 homopolymer.
4 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the blend include a polyether block amide.
5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the percentage of polyamide in the composition results from a percentage of nylon 12 homopolymer and the remaining percentage of a polyether block amide.
6 . The composition of claim 5 , wherein the polyether block amide has a lower durometer than the nylon 12 homopolymer.
7 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the PTFE powder has a mean particle size in the range of 200 to 700 nanometers.
8 . The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a hydrophilic lubricant, wherein the percentage of polyamide is decreased the same percentage as the percentage of added hydrophilic lubricant.
9 - 16 . (canceled)
17 . A composition of material comprising:
approximately ninety percent by weight of nylon having a Shore-hardness measurement of 68D; and
approximately ten percent by weight of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (“PTFE”) powder;
wherein the percentage of nylon and the percentage of PTFE powder equals one hundred percent.
18 . The composition of claim 17 , wherein nylon is a blend of nylon.
19 . The composition of claim 17 , wherein the blend of nylon includes nylon 12.
20 . A guiding catheter comprising:
medical intralumenal tubing extruded from a compounded composition, wherein the composition comprises
a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (“PTFE”) powder by weight of the composition in the range of 1 to 25 percent; and
a polyamide in which the PTFE powder is dispersed;
wherein the percentage of polyamide and the percentage of PTFE powder equals one hundred percent of any of the preceding claims.
21 . The guiding catheter of claim 20 , wherein polyamide is a blend of homopolymer and co-polymers.
22 . The guiding catheter of claim 21 , wherein the blend includes nylon 12 homopolymer.
23 . The guiding catheter of claim 21 , wherein the blend include a polyether block amide.
24 . The guiding catheter of claim 20 , wherein the percentage of polyamide in the composition results from a percentage of nylon 12 homopolymer and the remaining percentage of a polyether block amide.
25 . The guiding catheter of claim 24 , wherein the polyether block amide has a lower durometer than the nylon 12 homopolymer.
26 . The guiding catheter of claim 20 , wherein the PTFE powder has a mean particle size in the range of 200 to 700 nanometers.
27 . The guiding catheter of claim 20 , further comprising a hydrophilic lubricant, wherein the percentage of polyamide is decreased the same percentage as the percentage of added hydrophilic lubricant.