IP Library Granted Patent US 10,898,616
Granted Patent B1
US 10,898,616 · App. 16/032,448 · Granted Jan 26, 2021

Peelable heat-shrink tubing

Inventors: Jiunn-Yow Chen (Amherst, NH); Mark Croteau (Swanzey, NH)
Assignee: TELEFLEX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
A61L29/04A61M25/0012A61M25/0023A61M25/0045B29C48/09B29C65/02B29C65/74B29C66/40B65B53/02B65D71/08F16L11/04B29K2023/10B29K2995/0049B29L2023/22
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,898,616
App. No.
16/032,448
Granted
Jan 26, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A peelable heat-shrink tubing includes a base polymer comprising fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and at least one fluoropolymer coextruded with the base polymer. The peelable heat-shrink tubing may have a haze between about 40% and 80%, inclusive, and/or a total luminous transmittance between about 70% and 85%, inclusive. In some embodiments, the haze may be between about 50% and 70%, inclusive, and/or the total luminous transmittance may be less than about 80%. The base polymer may comprise FEP NP-130 and constitute between about 87.5% and 92.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, inclusive, and the at least one fluoropolymer may comprise ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and constitute between about 7.5% and 12.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, inclusively. In some embodiments, the at least one fluoropolymer may comprise 7.5% of ETFE and 5% of perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), each by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, inclusive.

Claims (32)

1. A peelable heat-shrink tubing comprising:

a base polymer comprising fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP); and

at least one fluoropolymer coextruded with the base polymer,

wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has a total luminous transmittance between about 70% and 85%, inclusive, and

wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing is guasi-isotropic having layers of different orientation.

2. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 1 , wherein the total luminous transmittance is less than about 80%.

3. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluoropolymer comprises ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE).

4. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 3 ,

wherein the base polymer constitutes between about 87.5% and 92.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, inclusive, and

wherein the at least one fluoropolymer constitutes between about 7.5% and 12.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, inclusive.

5. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 4 ,

wherein the FEP constitutes between about 87.5% and 92.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, inclusive, and

wherein the ETFE constitutes between about 7.5% and 12.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, inclusive.

6. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 5 ,

wherein the FEP constitutes about 87.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, and

wherein the ETFE constitutes about 12.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing.

7. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 5 ,

wherein the FEP constitutes about 87.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, and

wherein the at least one fluoropolymer further comprises perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), the ETFE constitutes about 7.5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing, and the PFA constitutes about 5% by composition of the peelable heat-shrink tubing.

8. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 1 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has a reduction ratio between about 1.30:1 and 1.84:1, inclusive.

9. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 8 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has a reduction ratio between about 1.65:1 and 1.84:1, inclusive.

10. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 1 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has an absolute value of in-plane birefringence less than about 0.001.

11. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 1 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has an absolute value of out-of-plane birefringence less than about 0.050.

12. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 11 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has an absolute value of out-of-plane birefringence less than about 0.005.

13. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 1 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has a first melting peak temperature between about 245° C. and 255° C., inclusive.

14. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 1 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has a crystallization peak temperature between about 230° C. and 245° C., inclusive.

15. A peelable heat-shrink tubing comprising:

a base polymer comprising fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP); and

at least one fluoropolymer coextruded with the base polymer,

wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has an absolute value of in-plane birefringence less than about 0.001.

16. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 15 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has an absolute value of out-of-plane birefringence less than about 0.050.

17. The peelable heat-shrink tubing of claim 16 , wherein the peelable heat-shrink tubing has an absolute value of out-of-plane birefringence less than about 0.005.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2026
From: NEWCO OEM IP LLC
To: BLUE OWL CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075508/0412 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2026
From: TELEFLEX MEDICAL LLC
To: TELEFLEX LIFE SCIENCES LLC
Reel/Frame 075422/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2026
From: TELEFLEX LIFE SCIENCES LLC
To: NEWCO OEM IP LLC
Reel/Frame 075425/0632 →
CERTIFICATE OF CONVERSION Recorded Nov 10, 2025
From: TELEFLEX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
To: TELEFLEX MEDICAL LLC
Reel/Frame 073542/0022 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2022
From: TELEFLEX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 062173/0234 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2018
From: CHEN, JIUNN-YOW; CROTEAU, MARK
To: TELEFLEX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 046514/0878 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,313,191