PARYLENE COATINGS FOR MEDICAL ARTICLES THAT ARE CLEANABLE AND REDUCE MICROBIAL TOUCH TRANSFER
Flexible medical articles have a barrier polymer coating that provides a cleanable surface and reduced microbial touch transfer. The articles may be flat or tubular. The articles are formed from a polymer composition containing one or more extractable components. The barrier polymer coating is a transparent vapor-deposited coating of a barrier polymer derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer. The vapor-deposited polymer coating barrier reduces the extraction of extractable component(s) from the tube. The coating also provides a reduction in microorganism touch transfer of at least 20% and provides increased wet out of a cleaning solvent compared to an identical tube without the transparent vapor-deposited coating.
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 transparent 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, and provides a reduction in microorganism touch transfer of at least 20% and provides increased wet out of cleaning solvent compared to an identical tube without the transparent vapor-deposited coating.
2 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solvent comprises isopropanol or an isopropanol-based solution.
3 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the article has a reduction in microorganism touch transfer of at least 50%.
4 . 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.
5 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer comprises parylene.
6 . The medical article of claim 5 , wherein parylene comprises parylene N, parylene C, parylene D, or parylene HT.
7 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer coating has a thickness of from 0.2-10 micrometers.
8 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer coating has a thickness of from 1-5 micrometers.
9 . 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.
10 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises tubing for a stethoscope.
11 . The medical article of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinked polymer comprises a copolymer of parylene and at least one (meth)acrylate.
12 . A medical article comprising:
a first major surface and a second major surface, comprising a polymer composition containing one or more extractable components; and
a transparent vapor-deposited coating of a barrier polymer derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer covering at least a portion of the first major surface, such that the vapor-deposited polymer coating barrier reduces the extraction of extractable component(s) from the tube, and provides a reduction in microorganism touch transfer of at least 20% and provides increased wet out of cleaning solvent compared to an identical article without the transparent vapor-deposited coating.
13 . The medical article of claim 12 , wherein the article has a reduction in microorganism touch transfer of at least 50%.
14 . The medical article of claim 12 , 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.
15 . The medical article of claim 12 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer comprises parylene N, parylene C, parylene D, or parylene HT.
16 . The medical article of claim 12 , wherein the vapor-deposited barrier polymer coating has a thickness of from 0.2-10 micrometers.
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 17 , wherein the vapor-deposited crosslinked polymer coating has a thickness of from 0.2-10 micrometers.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the tube comprises tubing for a stethoscope.