Medical devices made from polymer blends containing low...

Details Medical devices made from polymer blends containing low... Medical devices made from polymer blends containing low...

1999-02-25

2001-09-04

Pyon, Harold (Department: 1772)

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Hollow or container type article

Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag

C428S036800, C428S036920, C604S095010, C604S096010, C604S103060, C604S288010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06284333

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In copending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/926,905 (corresponding to PCT/US98/18345 filed Sep. 4, 1998) there are described medical balloons made from liquid crystal polymer blends. The blends comprise polymer melt blend product of
a) a thermotropic main-chain liquid crystal polymer (LCP);
b) a crystallizable thermoplastic polymer; and
c) at least one compatibilizer for a) and b).
The melt blend balloons so produced have very high strength, but have relatively low compliance and flexibility.
The practice of the invention of application Ser. No. 08/926,905, however, has been limited in that the thermoplastic polymer was a material with a relatively high melting temperature, such as crystallizable polyester or polyamide polymers. The known LCPs had melting points above 275° C., thus requiring that the thermoplastic polymer be stable at temperatures near or above the LCP melting temperature in order to process the melt blend.
Many thermoplastic polymers have higher flexibility and elasticity than polyesters or polyamides but their melting points have been too low to be processable in melt blends with LCPs.
Recently LCPs with melting points below 250° C. have been prepared and commercialized. The inventors of the present invention have now discovered a much wider range of thermoplastic polymers can be blended with such low melting temperature LCPs to produce blend materials useful in fabricating medical devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the invention comprises a medical device at least a portion of which is composed of a polymeric material in which the polymeric material is a melt blend product of at least two different thermoplastic polymers, one of the thermoplastic polymers being a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer having a melting point of about 275° C. or less, and especially 250° C. or less. Catheters and catheter balloons are specific medical devices to which the invention may be applied.
The low temperature LCP component may be used at relatively low levels to impart higher strength and resistance to shrinkage to base polymer materials of greater flexibility, softness or elasticity than had previously been usable with available LCPs.


REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 32983 (1989-07-01), Levy
patent: 3991014 (1976-11-01), Kleinschuster
patent: 4067852 (1978-01-01), Calundann
patent: 4083829 (1978-04-01), Calundann et al.
patent: 4130545 (1978-12-01), Calundann
patent: 4154244 (1979-05-01), Becker
patent: 4161470 (1979-07-01), Calundann
patent: 4318842 (1982-03-01), East et al.
patent: 4331786 (1982-05-01), Foy et al.
patent: 4386174 (1983-05-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 4433083 (1984-02-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 4438236 (1984-03-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 4444817 (1984-04-01), Subramanian
patent: 4468364 (1984-08-01), Ide
patent: 4963313 (1990-10-01), Noddin et al.
patent: 5195969 (1993-03-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5248305 (1993-09-01), Zdrahala
patent: 5264260 (1993-11-01), Saab
patent: 5270086 (1993-12-01), Hamlin
patent: 5290306 (1994-03-01), Trotta et al.
patent: 5304340 (1994-04-01), Downey
patent: 5306246 (1994-04-01), Sahatjian et al.
patent: 5328468 (1994-07-01), Kaneko et al.
patent: 5330428 (1994-07-01), Wang
patent: 5348538 (1994-09-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5358486 (1994-10-01), Saab
patent: 5447497 (1995-09-01), Sogard et al.
patent: 5512051 (1996-04-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5554120 (1996-09-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5556383 (1996-09-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5565530 (1996-10-01), Hattori et al.
patent: 5587125 (1996-12-01), Roychowdhury
patent: 0 369 734 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 0 448 886 A1 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 92/19316 (1992-11-01), None
patent: 93/24574 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 95/23619 (1995-09-01), None
patent: 96/00752 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 96/04951 (1996-02-01), None
Polymer Science Dictionary, Second Edition, Edited by Marc Alger, p. 292, Jan. 1997.*
J. P. deSouza et al., “Processing Studies of In Situ Composites Based on Blends of Liquid Crystalline Polymers With Engineering Thermoplastics”,Polymer Preprints, 392-393 Apr. 1992.
Q. Lin and A.F. Yee, Measurement of Molecular Orientation of Liquid Crystalline Polymer in situ Composites by X-Ray Scattering Technique,Polymer Preprints, pp. 298-299, Apr. 1992.
J. M.Schultz, “Structure Evolution in PET Fibers”,Polymer Preprints, 304-306 Apr. 1992.
J. Liu et al., “Crystal Structure and Transitions in Rigid Rod Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Polymers”,Polymer Preprints, 337-338 Apr. 1992.
W.J. Farrissey and T.M. Shah, Polyamide Thermoplastic Elastomers, in Handbook of Thermoplastic Elastomers, B.M. Walker and C.R. Rader, eds., pp. 258-281.
B. N. Epstein et al., “Polymer Blends—An Overview”,Polymer Preprints, 42-43, Jun. 1991.
M.M. Coleman et al., “Miscibility Maps for Copolymer-Copolymer Blends: A Comparison of Theoretical Predictions to Experimental Data”,Polymer Preprints, 44-45, Jun. 1991.
W.M. Cheng et al., “Main Chain-Side Chain Liquid Crystal Polymer Blends for Improived Physical Properties”,Polymer Preprints, 50-51, Jun. 1991.
R.R. Matheson, Jr., “Polymers, Processes and Additives as Systems”,Polymer Preprints, 52-53, Jun. 1991.
S. Allen et al., “The Effect of Additives on Tensile Properties of PPD-T Fibers”,Polymer Preprints, 54-55, Jun. 1991.
J.R. Runt et al., “Phase Behavior and Crystallization in Blends of Poly(butyleneterephthalate) and Polyarylate”,Polymer Preprints, 56-57, Jun. 1991.
T.W. Cheng et al., “Property and Morphology Relationships for Ternary Blends of Polycarbonate, Brittle Polymers, and an Impact Modifier”,Polymer Preprints, 58-59, Jun. 1991.
M.M. Nir and R.E. Cohen, “Compatibilization of Blends of Crystallizable Polybutadiene Isomers by Precipitation and by Addition of Amorphous Diblock Copolymer”,Polymer Preprints, 60-61, Jun. 1991.
U. M. Vakil and G.C. Martin, “Analysis of Structure-Property Relations in Crosslinked Epoxies”,Polymer Preprints, 62-63, Jun. 1991.
Superex Polymer, Inc. press release, “Dual Compatibilized Recyclable PET-LCP Alloys with Enhanced Barrier and Structural Performance”.
Hoechst Celanese Vectra ® Liquid Crystal Polymer Product Information.
Superex Polymer, Inc Advertisement, “Building product value through new processing and application technologies”.
Xydar® product data, Sep. 1994.
Amoco Engineering Plastics for Performance and Value product brochure.
B. Miller, “Rotating Dies Pave Way for Extruding LCP”, Plastics World.
A.M. Adur and L.J. Bonis, “PET-LCP Compatibilized Alloys: A New Unique Development”.
G.C. Rutledge, “Modelling Chain Rigidity and Orientation in Liquid Crystalline Polymers”,Polymer Preprints, 537-538 Apr. 1992.
R.K. Menon, “Kinetic Theory for Liquid Crystalline Polymer Solutions”,Polymer Preprints, 574-575 Apr. 1992.
O.V. Noah and N.A. Plate, “Simulation of Macromolecules Conformations in Processes of Intra- and Intermolecular Crosslinking”,Polymer Preprints, 578-579 Apr. 1992.
H. Boublil et al., “Morphology of Polyamide and Polyether Block Amide Blends”,Polymer Engineering and Science, vol. 29, No. 10, 679-684, May 1989.
E. Okoroafor and J. Rault, “Cryodilation of Thermoplastic PEBA Elastomers”,J. Polymer Sci: Part B: Polymer Physics, Vopl. 29, 1427-1436, 1991.
E. Barmatov et al., “Oriented Networks of Comb-Shaped Liquid Crystalline Polymers”,Polymer Preprints, 706-707, Aug. 1993.
M. Brehmer et al., “LC-Elastomers by Chemical and Physical Crosslinking”,Polymer Preprints, 708-709, Aug. 1993.
A.Y. Bilibin and A.R. Stepanova, “Synthesis of Liquid Crystalline Multiblock Copolymers With Definite Structure of Rigid Block”,Polymer Preprints, 714-715, Aug. 1993.
Y. Yang et al., Orientation and Strain-Induced Liquid-Crystalline Phase Transition of Networks of Semi-Rigid Chains,Polymer Preprints, 729-730, Aug. 1993.
R. Stadler and T. Oehmichen, “Telechelic Oligoaramides—A Means for Rigid-Rod Molecular Inforcement of Thermoplastic Materials”,Polymer Preprints, 731-733, Aug. 1993.
D.H. Weinkauf and D.R. Paul, “The Influence of Molecular Architecture on Gas Transport Properties of Liquid Crystalline Polymers”,Polymer Preprints, 372-373, Aug. 1991.
P. A. Rodgers and I.C. Sanchez, “Gas Solubility in Polym

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Medical devices made from polymer blends containing low... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Medical devices made from polymer blends containing low..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Medical devices made from polymer blends containing low... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2503999