Self-lubricated catheters
A catheter assembly includes at least one self-lubricated part formed from a mixture including a polymer and lubricant. The polymer has a functional group that can react with the functional group of the lubricant. The suitably functionalized lubricant provides for a low coefficient of friction surface for easier and less traumatic insertion and withdrawal of the catheter into and from body cavities.
1. An intermittent urinary catheter comprising:
a catheter shaft formed from a mixture, the mixture comprising:
an amine containing lubricant in an amount of about 0.05 percent by weight (wt. %) to about 20 wt. % of the mixture;
a polymer, the polymer having a functional group that can react with an amine functional group of the amine containing lubricant; and
the catheter shaft having an outer surface formed from the mixture wherein the outer surface has a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.3.
2. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is an ethylene-co-vinylacetate-co-maleic anhydride polymer (EVA-MA polymer).
3. The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the amine containing lubricant is an oleamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt. % to about 95 wt. % and the oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.
4. The catheter of claim 3 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt. % and the oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. %.
5. The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the amine containing lubricant is a erucamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt. % to about 95 wt. % and the erucamide in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.
6. The catheter of claim 5 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt. % and the erucamide in an amount of about 5 wt. %.
7. The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the amine containing lubricant is an ethylene bis-oleamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt. % to about 95 wt. % and the ethylene bis-oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.
8. The catheter of claim 7 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt. % and the ethylene bis-oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. %.
9. A multilayer intermittent urinary catheter shaft, comprising:
a coextruded tube including:
an outer extruded layer formed from a mixture including:
an amine containing lubricant in an amount of about 0.05 wt. % and to 20 wt. % of the mixture; and
a first polymer, the first polymer having a functional group that can react with an amine functional group of the amine containing lubricant;
an inner extruded layer, the inner layer formed from a second polymer; and
the outer layer defining an outer surface formed from the mixture wherein the outer surface has a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.3.
10. The multilayer catheter of claim 9 , wherein the first polymer is an EVA-MA polymer.
11. The multilayer catheter of claim 10 , wherein the amine containing lubricant is an oleamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt. % to about 95 wt. % and the oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.
12. The multilayer catheter of claim 11 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt. % and the oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. %.
13. The multilayer catheter of claim 10 , wherein the amine containing lubricant is a erucamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt. % to about 95 wt. % and the erucamide in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.
14. The multilayer catheter of claim 13 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt. % and the erucamide in an amount of about 5 wt. %.
15. The multilayer catheter of claim 10 , wherein the amine containing lubricant is an ethylene bis-oleamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt. % to about 95 wt. % and the ethylene bis-oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.
16. The multilayer catheter of claim 15 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt. % and the ethylene bis-oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt. %.
17. The multilayer catheter of claim 9 wherein the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of EVA-MA polymer, ethylene-co-vinylacetate polymer, thermoplastic polyurethane polymer, and functionalized thermoplastic olefin elastomer.
18. An intermittent catheter assembly including at least one self-lubricated part, the at least one self-lubricated part comprising:
a functionalized polymer containing a first functional group; and
a functionalized lubricant containing a second functional group that can react with the first functional group,
wherein the functionalized polymer and the functionalized lubricant are melt mixed to form a mixture, and wherein the at least one self-lubricated part includes an outer surface that is formed from the mixture and has a coefficient of friction of less than 0.3.
19. The catheter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the functionalized polymer is an anhydride functionalized polymer, and the functionalized lubricant is an amine functionalized lubricant.
20. The catheter assembly of claim 19 , wherein the mixture includes the amine functionalized lubricant in an amount of about 0.05 wt.% to about 20 wt.% of the mixture.
21. The catheter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the polymer is an ethylene-co-vinylacetate-co-maleic anhydride polymer (EVA-MA polymer).
22. The catheter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the functionalized polymer is an EVA-MA polymer and the functionalized lubricant is an oleamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt.% to about 99.5 wt.% and the oleamide in an amount of about 0.5 wt.% to about 10 wt.%.
23. The catheter assembly of claim 22 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt.% and the oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt.%.
24. The catheter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the functionalized polymer is an EVA-MA polymer and the functionalized lubricant a erucamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt.% to about 95 wt.% and the erucamide in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 10 wt.%.
25. The catheter assembly of claim 24 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt.% and the erucamide in an amount of about 5 wt.%.
26. The catheter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the functionalized polymer is an EVA-MA polymer and the functionalized lubricant an ethylene bis-oleamide, and wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 90 wt.% to about 95 wt.% and the ethylene bis-oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 10 wt.%.
27. The catheter assembly of claim 26 , wherein the mixture includes the EVA-MA polymer in an amount of about 95 wt.% and the ethylene bis-oleamide in an amount of about 5 wt.%.
28. The catheter assembly of claim 18 wherein, the at least one self-lubricated part is selected from the group of a catheter tube, an introducer tip and a flexible tip.