COATED TUBING FOR MEDICAL ARTICLES
Polymeric tubing containing extractable component(s) for use in medical articles include a tube and a vapor-deposited coating of a barrier polymer covering at least a portion of the tube. The barrier polymer is derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer. The vapor-deposited polymer coating reduces the extraction of extractable component(s) from the tube. The barrier polymer is parylene or a copolymer of parylene. The polymer coated tubing can be used in stethoscopes.
1 . A medical article comprising:
a tube with an interior surface and an exterior surface, comprising a polymer composition containing one or more extractable components; and
a vapor-deposited coating of a barrier polymer derived from at least one
ethylenically unsaturated monomer covering at least a portion of at least the exterior
surface of the tube, such that the vapor-deposited polymer coating barrier reduces the
extraction of extractable component(s) from the tube.
2 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition containing one or more extractable components comprises:
plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
plasticized PVC copolymers;
plasticized polyurethane; or
polysiloxane containing unreacted cyclic siloxane, catalyst residue, plasticizer, tackifier, or a combination thereof.
3 . The medical article of claim 2 , wherein the polymer composition containing one or more extractable components comprises plasticized PVC free of phthalate plasticizer.
4 . The medical article of claim 2 , wherein the polymer composition containing one or more extractable components comprises plasticized PVC wherein the plasticized PVC comprises at least 25% plasticizer by weight.
5 . The medical article of claim 2 , wherein the polymer composition containing one or more extractable components comprises plasticized PVC wherein the plasticized PVC comprises at least 40% plasticizer by weight.
6 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer comprises parylene.
7 . The medical article of claim 6 , wherein parylene comprises parylene N or parylene C.
8 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer coating has a thickness of from 1-10 micrometers.
9 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer coating has a thickness of from 2-5 micrometers.
10 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer coating further comprises at least one anti-microbial agent.
11 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition containing one or more extractable components has a thickness of from 0.1-7 millimeters.
12 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises tubing for a stethoscope.
13 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited coating changes the color, the texture, the coefficient of friction, the optical appearance of the tubing, or a combination thereof.
14 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the reduction of extraction of extractable component(s) from the tube comprises a reduction in solvent extraction by polar or nonpolar solvent.
15 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinked polymer comprises a copolymer of parylene and at least one (meth)acrylate.
16 . The medical article of claim 15 , wherein the at least one (meth)acrylate comprises at least one C 3 -C 18 alkyl (meth)acrylate.
17 . A method of preparing a medical article comprising:
providing a tube with an interior surface and an exterior surface, comprising a polymer composition containing one or more extractable components; and
vapor coating a barrier polymer derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer onto at least a portion of at least the exterior surface of the tube.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein vapor coating a barrier polymer onto at least a portion of at least the exterior surface of the tube comprises:
placing the tube in a deposition chamber;
applying a vacuum to the deposition chamber;
heating a precursor material to volatize at least a portion of it; and
introducing the volatilized precursor material into the deposition
chamber, wherein the precursor material comprises parylene or a mixture of parylene
and at least one (meth)acrylate.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein placing the tube in a deposition chamber comprises placing the tube in a rotating basket or hanging the tube from a rack.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the vapor-deposited crosslinked polymer coating has a thickness of from 1-10 micrometers.
21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the tube comprises tubing for a stethoscope.