Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Imaging affecting physical property of radiation sensitive... – Making named article
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-30
2004-11-02
McPherson, John A. (Department: 1756)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Imaging affecting physical property of radiation sensitive...
Making named article
C430S346000, C430S945000, C600S585000, C600S433000, C600S434000, C600S435000, C604S164100, C604S264000, C604S171000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06811958
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical long object having a mark on its surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
In observation of a biological lumen or the like using an endoscope, in order to guide the endoscope to a predetermined position of the biological lumen or the like, a guide wire is used. The guide wire is inserted to the predetermined position of the biological lumen or the like before guiding the endoscope.
If the guide wire is monochromic, the movement thereof is not recognized even when it is moving in an axial direction. Therefore, it is preferable that a mark representing a position and the like of the guide wire is provided on the surface thereof.
Therefore, conventionally, a method for providing various marks has been proposed.
For example, JP 09-501593 A discloses a method for attaching a hollow tube to a guide wire. According to this method, a hollow tube made of Teflon or the like and having a plurality of colored streaks is shrunk over a core wire of a guide wire so as to wrap it.
In the above-mentioned method, a mark is provided simultaneously with the formation of the guide wire. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a mark at a desired position. Furthermore, the shape and width of a mark may become uniform as a whole.
JP 04-108556 U discloses a method for forming a mark by printing.
The above-mentioned method has the following problems. Since ink has no solvent resistance, it is difficult to provide a lubricating coat such as a hydrophilic polymer to the surface of a guide wire after forming a mark. It is also difficult to conduct marking on a curved surface. A time for drying ink is also required. During use, ink may peel off to flow into a living body.
In order to solve the problems of the above-mentioned method using printing, JP 06-63054 U discloses a method for providing a transparent coating layer made of fluorine resin after printing a mark.
According to this method, a process of drying ink is required, which complicates production processes. Furthermore, there is a constraint in terms of design that transparent resin can only be used.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,686 discloses a method for heating a site of a catheter guide wire made of steel, in which a color mark is to be formed, at a temperature allowing a temper color to appear.
According to this method, only a catheter guide wire made of steel can be used. Furthermore, a superelastic alloy (Ni-Ti alloy) generally used as a core wire of a guide wire is likely to have its physical properties changed by heat treatment such as heating. Therefore, this method is not preferable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,686 also discloses a method for forming marks by stamping or irradiation with laser light.
According to the former method, a mark portion to be formed may be raised, and according to the latter method, a mark portion to be formed may be recessed, and thus obtained mark is less visible since the mark has no color change.
Thus, there is a demand for a guide wire without having the above-mentioned problems.
The above-mentioned problems are not limited to guide wires. For example, in catheters, information such as a scale (length from a tip end, etc.) is printed on a surface. Therefore, the catheters also have the same problems as those in the guide wires.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a medical long object which has a mark with any shape and width at a desired position on its surface and is excellent in solvent resistance, and in which a mark position can be curved, there is no possibility of peeling of a mark during use, various materials such as a superelastic alloy (Ni-Ti alloy) can be used as a core wire, and a mark is easily visible since it has little raised or recessed.
Furthermore, it is another object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a medical long object, in which a time for drying ink is not required, and production processes are not complicated.
More specifically, the present invention provides a medical long object including a part formed of a polymeric material containing a laser color developing agent at least in a part of a surface, and a color developing portion formed in the part by color development of the laser color developing agent due to irradiation with laser light.
In particular, the present invention provides a medical long object having a tip end portion and a base end portion, including a polymeric material surface formed of a polymeric material containing a laser color developing agent at least in the tip end portion, and a light developing portion formed by color development of the laser color developing agent due to irradiation with laser light on the polymeric material surface.
It is preferable that the laser color developing agent contains mica and/or a compound thereof.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned medical long object is a guide wire.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned medical long object is a catheter.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for producing a medical long object, including: forming at least a part of a surface of a medical long object with a polymeric material containing a laser color developing agent; and irradiating only a portion of the surface of the medical long object in which a color is to be developed with laser light so as to allow the laser color developing agent to develop a color, thereby forming any pattern on the surface of the medical long object.
It is preferable that the laser color developing agent is contained 0.01 to 10% by mass on the total amount of the polymeric material component.
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Bosnos, Chuck; Burton, Natalie; McKee, Terry. “Laser Marking Medical Devices and Packaging”. Feb. 1998. www.devicelink.com/mddi/archive/98/02/018.html.*
J. Mvers, “Lasers Make Their Mark on Variety of Plastics Parts,”Modern Plastics International, vol. 23, No. 10, Oct. 1993, pp. 29-31.
Fujimagari Hideki
Iwami Jun
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
McPherson John A.
Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
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