Tube

Abstract

A kink-free tube is provided. The tube includes a first portion and a second portion, both of which are formed from a membrane material, the membrane material being a multilayer membrane material having outer layers on opposite sides of at least one inner layer, thereby providing enhanced features taking into account breakage pressure, kink resistance effect, and opening pressure.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a tube that resists kinking. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the examples, and the accompanying drawings are incorporated in and are a part of this specification. The accompanying drawings illustrate the examples and together with the specification explain the principles of the examples. Other examples and many of the expected advantages of the examples will be readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale with respect to each other. The same reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.

[0003] Figure 1A and Figure 1B shows what happens when the tube is kinked.

[0004] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C A side view, a cross-sectional view and another side view of a tube with corrugations are shown.

[0005] Figure 3 A tube with corrugations is shown.

[0006] Figure 4 A tube with corrugations is shown, and how kinking will not occur even if the tube is bent sharply.

[0007] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D A tube is shown in which the corrugations initially extend in one direction only.

[0008] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Side and cross-sectional views of a tube are shown, where the tube material is longer than the non-stretchable support portion.

[0009] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of a tube with corrugations is shown.

[0010] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Cross-sections of sheets of different membrane materials are schematically shown.

[0011] Figures 10 to 12 A cross-sectional view of the tube is shown.

[0012] Fig.13 The urine collection system is shown.

[0013] Fig.14 The irrigation system is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Example relates to a tube, the tube forms a tube channel for guiding liquid from a first end to a second end. The tube has a length in a longitudinal direction (defined herein as extending from the first end to the second end), and a width in a transverse direction (defined herein as transverse to the longitudinal direction). The tube includes a first portion and a second portion formed by at least one sheet of film material. The first portion is connected to the second portion along at least one longitudinal seal to define a tube channel between the first portion and the second portion, and at least one of these portions defines a series of ridges and grooves in the form of corrugations. The ridges and grooves extend in a transverse direction and the series extends in a longitudinal direction. At least one sheet of film material is a multilayer film material having an outer layer on the opposite side of at least one inner layer.

[0015] A tube as described above has the advantage that it is very flexible in the transverse direction. The membrane material needs to both acquire the corrugations and act as a tube through which the liquid flows, which requires specific material properties.

[0016] Since the membrane material sheet is a multilayer membrane material, the membrane material can acquire such specific properties as distortion, flow and kinking under different pressures of the liquid in the channel, tensile strength, sealing of the two layers during manufacturing (e.g., by welding or adhesively joining the first part to the second part), and thermoplastic forming of the corrugations. Accordingly, the multilayer membrane material potentially improves the characteristics of the tube in terms of breakage pressure, anti-kink effect, and opening pressure (i.e., pressure sufficient to push the first part and the second part away from each other when the liquid flows through the tube channel).

[0017] At least one of the outer layers may be made of a first thermoplastic material, and at least one of the at least one inner layer may be made of a second thermoplastic material different from the first thermoplastic material, i.e. one or both outer layers may be made of a first thermoplastic material, and one or each of the at least one inner layer may be made of a second thermoplastic material.

[0018] Examples of materials that can be used for the tube are polyamide (PA), polyethylene (PE) (e.g., UHMWPE, HDPE, MDPE, LDPE, or LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), copolymers including polyethylene (PE) (e.g., including maleic anhydride (PE-MAH)), or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). The first thermoplastic material can, for example, include PE or EVA, and the second thermoplastic material can, for example, include HIPS, ABS, PVC, PMMA acrylic plastic (PMMAAcrylic), PC, COC, PP, PE, EVA, or PA. The first thermoplastic material can be selected from Escorene TM , Elvax TMand combinations thereof, and the second thermoplastic material can be selected from Escorene TM 、Grilon CA6 TM 、Surlyn1650 TM For example, additives may be added for the purpose of changing the friction of the pipe material.

[0019] These materials can be used both as new processed materials and as recycled materials. An example relates to a tube that is at least partially made from recycled materials. PET is a very common recycled material and can form at least part of the material in the tube.

[0020] EVA is a stretchable material and can therefore be easily processed in the vacuum forming process.

[0021] Other examples of materials are materials including metals (eg, aluminum) or rubber materials.

[0022] The materials can be used as single or multi-layer film or foil materials and can be combined with each other to obtain the desired thickness and flexibility. For example, aluminum can be combined with PE, or EVA, or a combination of PE, EVA and aluminum to form a part of a thin layer to form a very thin layer. Similarly, recycled PET can be combined with a more flexible material (such as EVA or a low-density PE layer) to form a layer.

[0023] In an example, the tube is made of a film or foil material. Thin material refers to material below 90mu, such as below 50mu, or below 20mu, or even below 10mu. It is envisaged that the material may be as thin as 7mu.

[0024] The outer layer and the inner layer may react differently to heating. The inner layer may have a higher melting temperature than the outer layer, and thus it may be easier to form corrugations in the outer layer by thermoplastic forming at a lower temperature. At the same time, the inner layer may maintain structural integrity and prevent fracture because the inner layer is more resistant to deformation at the temperature at which the outer layer may be formed.

[0025] The first thermoplastic material may have a melting point of approximately 60 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius, and the second thermoplastic material may have a melting point of approximately 110 degrees Celsius to 140 degrees Celsius.

[0026] The at least one inner layer may more specifically be three inner layers or more than three inner layers, such as four, five or even more than five inner layers. If the tube comprises three inner layers, the tube comprises five layers including the outer layer; if the tube comprises five inner layers, the tube comprises a total of seven layers.

[0027] The at least three inner layers may include an inner inner layer and an intermediate inner layer on the opposite side of the inner inner layer. The inner inner layer may be made of a different material than the intermediate inner layer. In this way, the intermediate inner layer may serve as a tie layer to bond the inner inner layer to the outer layer. This improves the ability to more freely select materials for the tube and thus better supports the formation of corrugations in the outer layer and the strength of the inner inner layer.

[0028] The tube may include at least one non-stretchable support portion that extends longitudinally and prevents stretching in the longitudinal direction. This may promote the tube to be flexible in the transverse direction, making the tube easy to bend but at the same time non-stretchable in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the tube may be stretched at the outer bend of the bend and the tube may be butted or compressed at the inner bend of the bend, thereby keeping the section through the apex of the bend open for liquid to pass through. This has the effect that even if the tube is folded onto itself or curled in the longitudinal direction, the tube will be less likely to kink.

[0029] In the context of the present disclosure, a non-stretchable support portion is defined as a structure that is substantially prevented from stretching in the longitudinal direction. Substantially prevented means that in normal use, it will not stretch more than 10%.

[0030] In the example, the tube has two inextensible struts, in particular longitudinal struts.

[0031] In an example, the supports are placed 180 degrees from each other in the circumferential direction around the tube, ie one support is at or integrated in the first portion and one support is at or integrated in the second portion.

[0032] In the example, the support is made by welding the tube in the longitudinal direction. This means that the tube has one or two longitudinal welds along its length. This is a simple way to build a non-stretchable support in the longitudinal direction. In the example, the support comprises three or four welds. The welds can be positioned equidistantly around the circumference, but can also be positioned so that the first weld and the second weld are positioned, for example, at 60 degrees, then 120 degrees to the third weld, and another 60 degrees to the fourth weld. This leaves another 120 degrees between the fourth weld and the first weld.

[0033] The longitudinally extending support portion can be formed by one of the outer layers, or the longitudinally extending support portion can be formed by one or more inner layers, or the longitudinally extending support portion can constitute a separate element (e.g., attached to the outer surface of one or two outer layers). The longitudinally extending support portion can be a slender object or wire that is melted to or adhesively bonded to the outer surface of the outer layer. If the longitudinally extending support portion is a separate element, it can be made of a material similar to or the same as the outer layer, a material similar to or the same as the inner layer, or a material different from the outer layer and the inner layer. The longitudinally extending support portion can be made of a more rigid or harder material, and specifically made of a material that is less elastically deformable than the outer layer and the inner layer.

[0034] Both the first part and the second part may define corrugations in the form of a series of ridges and grooves, wherein the ridges and grooves extend in a transverse direction, and the series extend in a longitudinal direction.The first part and the second part may be the same part.

[0035] The first part and the second part may be separate film layers joined along at least two longitudinal seals.The at least one longitudinal seal and optionally both longitudinal seals may be heat based seals, wherein the outer layer of the first part is heat bonded to the outer layer of the second part.

[0036] The first portion and the second portion may have different visual expressions, thereby allowing a user to determine the difference between the two opposite sides of the tube. This may allow a user to determine if the tube is twisted. The different visual expressions may be provided by different colors and / or different textures, etc.

[0037] The tube may be configured to instill a liquid into or drain a liquid from the body of an individual. For this purpose, the tube may include an elongated rigid element, such as a catheter or a probe, which forms a rigid passage from an inlet to an outlet and forms an extension of the tube passage. In this context, the rigidity of the rigid element exceeds the rigidity of the membrane material, which enables insertion of the catheter through a body opening.

[0038] A catheter or probe can use a tube, for example to connect to an irrigation system or for urine drainage.

[0039] The irrigation system typically includes a reservoir or container of the irrigation liquid, an anal probe and the pipeline connecting the two. The system can also include a pump for pumping the irrigation liquid to the intestine. The pipe described herein can be suitable for use in such a system, and the pipe can form an integral part of such a system, particularly by combining the probe into an integral, non-detachable part or a detachable part of the pipe at the first end, and optionally by combining a connector into an integral, non-detachable part or a detachable part of the pipe at the second end. The connector can connect the pipe to the pump and the reservoir.

[0040] The tube as described herein may also be used in conjunction with urine collection. In a system for urine collection, a urinary catheter or urisheath may be provided to the user to direct urine from the bladder. Typically, the end of the urisheath is provided with a connection portion to which a connector on the tube may be connected. The other end of the tube is then connected to a collection bag.

[0041] Typically, the end of the catheter is also provided with a connection portion to which a connector on the tube can be connected. And likewise, the other end of the tube can be connected to a collection bag. In the case of an intermittent urinary catheter, the tube may not be connected to a collection bag, but may be provided with an outlet configured to direct urine into the toilet bowl. In this case, the tube may act as an extension tube for the intermittent catheter. For an indwelling catheter, the tube will typically be connected to a collection bag.

[0042] In the context of this specification, a tube is an element having a longitudinal extension and capable of allowing a liquid to flow through the tube. The cross section of the tube can have any shape and can even be closed before use.

[0043] In this context, a kink is defined as an unintended closure of the tube in diameter, typically due to a bend in the longitudinal direction. When a user is handling a relatively long tube (e.g., more than 50 cm long), it is easy to inadvertently bend the tube in the longitudinal direction. If this bend is sharp, there is a risk that the tube kinks and thereby closes the lumen at the apex of the sharp bend.

[0044] The tube as described herein will not kink, which means that when the liquid flows through the tube, the section through the bend apex will always be open. Therefore, even if the tube is sharply bent, for example, folded in the longitudinal direction, the tube will not be closed in the section through the bend apex.

[0045] The bending apex has an outer bend and an inner bend, where the material is stretched and where the material is facing each other at the inner bend.

[0046] In an example, the tube has a first width in the transverse direction that is greater than a second width of the tube in the transverse direction, wherein the first width and the second width alternate in the longitudinal direction.

[0047] In examples, the tube has a lumen including an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the longitudinal supports extend radially beyond the outer surface of the lumen.

[0048] Examples relate to a tube having a storage configuration in which the lumen of the tube is substantially closed along the length of the tube, meaning that the tube is substantially airless in the storage configuration, and a use configuration in which the lumen is open to allow liquid to flow through the tube.

[0049] The conversion from the storage configuration to the use configuration can be achieved by simply connecting the tube to the liquid supply. The pressure from the liquid will automatically open the lumen of the tube.

[0050] Substantially closed means that the volume of the interior cavity in the storage configuration is less than 10% of the volume of the interior cavity in the use configuration.

[0051] The use of such an airless tube in an irrigation system is advantageous because it is undesirable to pump air into the user's intestines at the beginning of an irrigation process. Thus, in other systems where the tube includes a volume of air in the storage configuration, the user may have to prime the system before beginning an irrigation process, i.e., wait for the liquid to push the air out of the tube.

[0052] An example involves a tube having a cross-sectional circumference, wherein a first portion around the circumference is convex and a second portion around the circumference is concave. The concave portion of the circumference extends into the convex portion so that the two portions come together.

[0053] An example relates to a tube comprising a first half and a second half in a longitudinal direction, wherein the first half and the second half each have a corrugation in the longitudinal direction, and the tube in a storage configuration is folded such that the corrugation of the second half is folded into the corrugation of the first half.

[0054] In an example, the tube is configured for use in an anal irrigation system.

[0055] In an example, the tube is configured to act as a connecting tube connecting the reservoir bag and the urinary catheter.

[0056] In an example, the tube is configured to act as a connecting tube connecting the reservoir bag and the urisheath.

[0057] In an example, the tube is configured to act as an extension tube for a urinary catheter.

[0058] When used for anal irrigation or urine drainage, it is advantageous for the tube to be kink-free. For example, with anal irrigation procedures, if the tube kinks, the user may run the risk of not having fluid enter the intestine. With urine collection, if the tube kinks so that urine is prevented from draining into the collection bag, leakage may occur.

[0059] An example relates to a tube, wherein the tube comprises a connector at one end. The tube may also have connectors at both ends, ie at a first end and a second end.

[0060] The connector can be a simple friction fit Luer connector, configured to connect to another Luer connector. The connector can also be a bayonet connector or a threaded connector.

[0061] An example relates to a tube, wherein the tube is configured to be used only once. In other words, the tube is configured for disposable use. In this context, configured for disposable use means that the tube is made of a material that cannot withstand flushing or otherwise cleaning. This means that the tube can be made of thin recycled material and can be discarded for further recycling. This saves material and saves the user the tedious process of washing the tube and drying it.

[0062] experiment

[0063] Experiments have been conducted

[0064]

[0065] as well as

[0066]

[0067] The test results provided are as follows:

[0068]

[0069] This is highly suitable for irrigation and urine drainage, in particular because the liquid pressure of the irrigation liquid and the urine pressure seem to be sufficient to open the tube channel, i.e. push the first part away from the second part. In addition, the liquid pressure of the irrigation liquid and the urine pressure are lower than the breakage test pressure.

[0070] Detailed description with drawings

[0071] Unless specifically stated otherwise, the examples described in this application and the features of the various illustrative examples may be combined with one another ("mix and match").

[0072] Figure 1A and Figure 1B shows the problems caused by kinks. Figure 1A A tube 100 is shown in FIG. The tube is made of a film material 101. When the tube is bent, the tube will have an outer bend 102 and an inner bend 103 at the bend. The center line 104 is also indicated in the figure. Kinking occurs because the inner bend folds into a sharp bend and thus the cross section of the tube is (almost) closed (as indicated by arrow 105). Figure 1B The situation is different in FIG. The outer bend 102 of the tube may be stretched as indicated by 105, and the inner bend 103 will be compressed or topped as indicated by the arrow. This has the effect of keeping the cross section open at the bend.

[0073] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C Tubes capable of tension in the outer bend and compression or cresting in the inner bend are shown. Figure 2A shows the tube viewed from the side, Figure 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the same tube, and Figure 2C Shown from perpendicular to Figure 2A The same tube as seen from the side. Tube 1 is made of a relatively thin material and is corrugated in the longitudinal direction. Figure 2C In the example shown, the corrugations 2 are viewed from the side, so that it can be seen that the cross-sectional diameter alternates between a smaller diameter d and a larger diameter D in the longitudinal direction. In the example shown, the smaller diameter d and the larger diameter D are shown to be consistent over the entire length of the tube. However, examples can be made where the smaller diameter and / or the larger diameter D varies along the length. Figure 7 Shown in.

[0074] Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of a tube 1 is shown. In this figure it can be seen that the tube is made of a relatively thin film material. In addition, the corrugations 2 are shown as wave crests 3 and wave troughs 4, wherein the wave troughs 4 are shown with dotted lines to indicate that the wave troughs are not on the same cross-section as the wave crests. Figure 2C The wave crests 3 and wave troughs 4 can also be seen in FIG. In this illustration, the larger diameter D is at the wave crest and the smaller diameter d is at the wave trough.

[0075] exist Figure 2A , Figure 2B as well as Figure 2C In the example, the non-stretchable support 5 is also shown. In this example, the non-stretchable support is in the form of two welds 6a, 6b, one on each side of the tube in the longitudinal direction. This means that the two supports in this example are in the cross-sectional view of the tube ( Figure 2B ) are placed 180 degrees apart.

[0076] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A photograph of tube 1 is shown. Figure 3 The non-stretchable support portion 5 is shown in FIG.

[0077] exist Figure 4 In , it is shown that even in the case of a sharp bend in the tube, the tube will stretch in the outer bend and butt in the inner bend. This is made possible in this example by combining a bellows with a non-stretchable support.

[0078] Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 5D A tube 10 is shown which is manufactured so that the corrugations 12 are initially manufactured on only one side, i.e. so that the corrugations 12 of one half 17 of the tube are folded into the corrugations of the other half 18 of the tube. This means that the tube has two membrane layers with little (or no) air between them before use, see Figure 5A When a tube is used, i.e. a fluid stream exerts pressure on the tube, the tube will Figure 5B The self-expanding is shown in FIG. , wherein the corrugations 12 on both sides can be seen. Figure 5C , a cross section in the longitudinal direction is observed. It can be seen that the two halves 17 and 18 face in the same direction, so that one of the halves 17 is folded into the half 18. In the half 18, the corrugations are convex, while in the half 17, the corrugations are concave.

[0079] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B A tube 20 is shown where the tube material 22 is longer than the non-stretchable support portion 25. For the bellows in Figures 2 to 5, the tube material is also longer than the non-stretchable support portion, but Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In the embodiment of the present invention, the longer tube material is random. Random means that the tube 20 is not corrugated, but instead the tube material 22 is welded along the length of the tube to provide the non-stretch support portion 25 in such a way that the length of the tube material in the longitudinal direction is longer than the non-stretch support portion 25 in the same longitudinal direction. The non-stretch support portion 25 is composed of two welds 26a, 26b located opposite to each other, i.e. 180 degrees between them around the circumference of the tube, see Figure 6b.

[0080] Figure 7 A longitudinal cross section of a tube 30 is shown, wherein the corrugations 32 vary along the length of the tube. As shown, the cross section varies between the crests 33 and troughs 34, from a first small diameter d1 to a first larger diameter D1, back to a second small diameter d2, then to a second larger diameter D2, and so on.

[0081] Figure 8 Schematically illustrated is a cross section of a sheet of film material 35 comprising a plurality of film layers, in particular an inner layer 36 and outer layers 37, 38 on opposite sides of the inner layer 35. The outer layer is made of a first thermoplastic material and the inner layer 36 is made of a second, different thermoplastic material. The illustrated multilayer film can be made in a blow molding process, where each layer is blow molded onto the previous layer. The layers are adhesively bonded, for example, during the blow molding process, one of the layers is melted onto the previous layer.

[0082] Fig. 9 Schematically illustrated is a cross section of a sheet of membrane material 39 in an example where the tube comprises at least three inner layers, referred to herein as an inner inner layer 40 and intermediate inner layers 41, 42 on opposite sides of the inner inner layer. The inner inner layer 40 is made of a different material than the intermediate inner layers 41, 42.

[0083] Fig.10 35, 39. A cross section of a tube is shown in an example where the first and second parts are formed from a single sheet of membrane material 35, 39. A single sheet may comprise any number of layers, e.g. Figure 8 and Fig. 93 layers or 5 layers are shown, or even more layers (such as 7 layers).

[0084] To produce the first and second parts from a single sheet of film material 35, 39, the sheet is bent and the two free edges 43, 44 are joined. Fig.11 As shown, the channel extends longitudinally between the flat curved edge 46 and the edge 47 formed by the free edges 43, 44, as indicated by the arrow 45. The two free edges are joined by a weld 48 extending along the edge 47.

[0085] The first portion and the second portion may be the same portion, ie both have corrugations, or only one of the two portions may have corrugations, while the other portion may be flat, ie have no corrugations.

[0086] Fig.12 35, 39. The cross section of a tube is shown in an example where the first and second parts are formed from separate sheets of membrane material 35, 39. The two separate sheets may comprise any number of layers, e.g. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 3 layers or 5 layers are shown, or even more layers (such as 7 layers).

[0087] To manufacture the first and second parts from separate sheets of membrane material 35 , 39 , the sheets are arranged in an overlapping configuration and the two free edges are joined by two longitudinally extending weld seams 48 , 49 .

[0088] Fig.13 A urine collection system 50 is shown comprising a tube 1 as disclosed herein, wherein a rigid element 51 forms a urinary catheter for insertion into the urinary tract (e.g., urethra) during intermittent or indwelling catheterization to allow urine to drain through the rigid channel and the tube channel. The rigid element 51 may be removably detachable to the tube, or may be irreversibly fixed to the tube.

[0089] The catheter is irreversibly or reversibly attached to a first end of the tube, and the second end of the tube is optionally irreversibly or reversibly attached to a collection bag. During catheterization, urine can be drained into the bag, and the anti-kink effect provided by the corrugations prevents obstruction of the tube channel during drainage, thereby preventing the very unpleasant sensation during bladder emptying and thus improving the usability of the urine collection system. In addition, the sheet structure of the tube reduces or prevents air in the tube and thus reduces or eliminates undesirable pumping of air into the bladder during the initial part of the urine drainage procedure.

[0090] Fig.14An irrigation system 52 for anal irrigation is shown, the irrigation system comprising a tube 1 as disclosed above, a rigid element 53 in the form of a probe, a pump 54 for pumping liquid and in fluid communication with a tube channel so as to be able to pump liquid through the tube channel, and a reservoir 55 for irrigation liquid, the reservoir being arranged so that the pump pumps liquid from the reservoir through the tube channel. In such a system, the anti-kink effect provided by the corrugations prevents obstruction of the tube channel during irrigation and thus improves the usability of the irrigation system. In addition, the sheet structure of the tube reduces or prevents air in the tube and thus reduces or eliminates undesirable pumping of air into the body during the initial part of the irrigation procedure.

[0091] The probe is irreversibly or reversibly attached to a first end of the tube, and the second end of the tube is irreversibly or reversibly attached to a pump or a reservoir. To this end, the first and second ends of the tube may include a connection structure, such as a threaded connection structure.

Claims

1. A tube forming a tube channel for guiding a liquid from a first end to a second end, wherein: The tube has a length in a longitudinal direction defined as extending from the first end to the second end and a width in a transverse direction defined as transverse to the longitudinal direction, wherein the tube includes a first portion and a second portion formed by at least one sheet of membrane material, the first portion being connected to the second portion along at least one longitudinal seal to define the tube channel between the first portion and the second portion, and at least one of the portions defines a series of ridges and grooves extending in the transverse direction, and the series extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the at least one sheet of membrane material is a multilayer membrane material having an outer layer on the opposite side of at least one inner layer.

2. The tube according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the outer layers is made of a first thermoplastic material, and at least one of the at least one inner layer is made of a second thermoplastic material different from the first thermoplastic material.

3. The tube according to claim 2, wherein Both outer layers are made of said first thermoplastic material.

4. A tube according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: Each of the at least one inner layer is made of the second thermoplastic material.

5. A tube according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein The first thermoplastic material includes PE or EVA, and the second thermoplastic material includes HIPS, ABS, PVC, PMMA acrylic plastic, PC, COC, PP, PE, EVA, or PA.

6. A tube according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein The outer layer and the inner layer react differently to heating.

7. A tube according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein The first thermoplastic material has a melting point of approximately 60 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius, and the second thermoplastic material has a melting point of approximately 110 degrees Celsius to 140 degrees Celsius.

8. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The at least one inner layer includes at least three inner layers.

9. The tube according to claim 8, wherein The at least three inner layers include an inner inner layer and an intermediate inner layer on an opposite side of the inner inner layer.

10. The tube according to claim 9, wherein The inner lining is made of a different material than the middle lining.

11. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The tube has at least one longitudinally extending support portion configured to prevent stretching in the longitudinal direction.

12. The tube according to claim 11, wherein The longitudinally extending support portion is formed by one of the outer layers.

13. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein Both the first portion and the second portion define a series of ridges and grooves extending in the transverse direction, and the series extends in the longitudinal direction.

14. The tube according to claim 13, wherein The first portion and the second portion are the same portion.

15. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The first portion and the second portion are separate film layers joined along at least two longitudinal seals.

16. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The at least one longitudinal seal is a heat based seal, wherein the outer layer of the first portion is heat bonded to the outer layer of the second portion.

17. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The first portion and the second portion have different visual expressions.

18. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: An elongated rigid element is formed integrally with the first end or connectable to the first end, the rigid element forming a rigid passage from the inlet to the outlet and forming an extension of the tube passage, the rigid element having a rigidity exceeding the rigidity of the membrane material.

19. A tube according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: A pump is used to pump liquid and is in fluid communication with the tube channel to enable pumping of liquid through the tube channel.

20. The tube of claim 19, comprising: A reservoir for containing a liquid, and wherein the pump is integrated in the reservoir.

21. The tube according to claim 20, wherein The at least one sheet of membrane material is connected to the reservoir.

22. An irrigation system comprising a liquid reservoir and the tube of claim 19, the pump being in fluid communication with the reservoir to enable irrigation with liquid pumped by the pump through the tube channel.

23. The irrigation system according to claim 22, comprising: A probe forms a probe channel from the inlet to the outlet and forms an extension of the tube channel, the stiffness of the probe exceeding the stiffness of the membrane material.

24. A urine collection system comprising the tube according to claim 18, wherein: The rigid element forms a urinary catheter for insertion into the urinary tract to allow drainage of urine through the rigid channel and the tube channel.

25. The urine collection system according to claim 24, comprising: A collecting bag is formed integrally with the second end or is connectable to the second end.

26. A method of making a tube having a first end and a second end, wherein: The tube has a length in a longitudinal direction defined as extending from the first end to the second end and a width in a transverse direction defined as transverse to the longitudinal direction, wherein the tube includes a first portion and a second portion formed by at least one sheet of film material, the first portion being connected to the second portion along at least one longitudinal seal, and at least one of the layers defining a series of ridges and grooves, the ridges and grooves extending in the transverse direction, and the series extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the at least one sheet of film material is a multilayer film material having an outer layer on the opposite side of at least one inner layer, and the method comprising: applying heat to the outer layer of at least one of the first portion and the second portion, while forming the ridges and grooves by blow molding.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein: The ridges and the grooves are formed in the at least one sheet of film material prior to joining the first portion to the second portion.

28. A method of using a tube having a first end and a second end, wherein: The tube has a length in a longitudinal direction defined as extending from the first end to the second end and a width in a transverse direction defined as transverse to the longitudinal direction, wherein The tube comprises a first portion and a second portion formed by at least one sheet of membrane material, the first portion being joined to the second portion along at least one longitudinal seal, and at least one of the layers defining a series of ridges and grooves extending in the transverse direction and the series extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the at least one sheet of membrane material is a multilayer membrane material having an outer layer on opposite sides of at least one inner layer, the method comprising allowing the first portion and the second portion to be in close contact and separated by the pressure of a liquid flushed longitudinally through the tube.

Images