A hydrophilic coating apparatus and method for a contrast catheter

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of hydrophilic coating equipment and coating method for contrast catheter, belong to the technical field of interventional medical instrument.The equipment includes cabinet, two solution tanks, catheter dip coating solidification mechanism and first mobile module.Catheter dip coating solidification mechanism includes catheter dip coating component, second mobile module and solidification component.Catheter dip coating component includes the support thin tube that can be extended into the lumen of contrast catheter and its distal end stopper;Solidification component includes the air blowing unit arranged around contrast catheter and pre-solidification light source.In the process that contrast catheter is pulled up from solution tank, air blowing unit blows air to the outer surface of catheter, while pre-solidification light source is irradiated and solidified.The present application effectively inhibits the sagging phenomenon of hydrophilic solution caused by gravity by combining air blowing and pre-solidification, thereby solving the problem of uneven coating thickness and catheter end accumulation, and improving coating uniformity and quality stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of interventional medical device consumables technology, specifically a hydrophilic coating device and coating method for angiography catheters. Background Technology

[0002] Angiography catheters are key medical devices for percutaneous angiography. To improve their permeability within blood vessels and reduce damage to the vessel walls, a hydrophilic lubricating coating is typically applied to their outer surface. Existing coating processes mostly employ an dip-coating method, where the catheter is vertically immersed in a hydrophilic solution, then pulled up at a uniform speed, and finally cured by ultraviolet light. While this method is widely used, it has several insurmountable drawbacks. First, during the process of lifting the catheter out of the liquid, the hydrophilic solution adhering to the catheter surface flows downwards due to gravity, resulting in a thinner coating at the top and thicker at the bottom. This is especially problematic at the distal end of the catheter, where droplets tend to accumulate, leading to localized out-of-tolerance outer diameter after curing. This uneven coating not only affects the catheter's maneuverability in clinical use but also poses a serious safety hazard due to coating rupture and detachment, potentially causing thrombosis. Second, high-quality hydrophilic coatings usually require two layers: a base coat and a top coat. Existing equipment mostly uses a sequential processing method, where the base coat and curing of all catheters are completed before the top coat is applied. This results in a long production cycle and low efficiency. Furthermore, to prevent the hydrophilic solution from entering the conduit lumen during dipping, the existing process requires a sealing mandrel to be manually inserted into the distal opening of the conduit before operation. This adds extra manual labor, is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and increases material costs. On the other hand, due to the tolerance between the inner diameter of the conduit and the outer diameter of the sealing mandrel, an overly tight fit may damage the conduit when the mandrel is pulled out, while an overly loose fit may cause sealing failure, resulting in the hydrophilic solution contaminating the conduit lumen and affecting product yield. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a hydrophilic coating device and coating method for angiography catheters, aiming to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art, such as uneven coating thickness due to gravity, low production efficiency, and cumbersome and unreliable manual sealing operation.

[0004] The first objective of this invention is to provide a hydrophilic coating device for angiography catheters, comprising:

[0005] Cabinet;

[0006] The bottom solution tank and the surface hydrophilic solution tank are spaced apart inside the cabinet.

[0007] Conduit dip-coating and curing mechanism;

[0008] The first moving module, installed on the top of the cabinet, is used to drive the conduit dip coating and curing mechanism to move between the bottom solution tank and the surface hydrophilic solution tank;

[0009] The conduit dip coating and curing mechanism includes:

[0010] The catheter dipping assembly is connected to the first movable module. The catheter dipping assembly includes a support tube for extending into the lumen of the angiography catheter and a sealing member disposed at the distal end of the support tube for sealing the distal opening of the angiography catheter.

[0011] The second moving module is installed on the first moving module and is used to drive the conduit dip coating assembly to move in the vertical direction;

[0012] The curing assembly is connected to the first moving module and is located above the bottom solution tank and the surface hydrophilic water tank, and below the conduit coating assembly. The curing assembly includes a blower unit and a pre-curing light source. The blower unit and the pre-curing light source are arranged around the contrast catheter.

[0013] During the process of the catheter dipping assembly lifting the contrast catheter from the bottom solution tank or the surface hydrophilic water tank, the blowing unit blows air onto the outer surface of the contrast catheter, while the pre-curing light source initially irradiates and cures the outer surface of the contrast catheter.

[0014] Furthermore, the curing component also includes an air blowing tube frame disposed on the first moving module, and the air blowing unit is a plurality of pre-cured blocks arranged in an array on the air blowing tube frame and corresponding one-to-one with the supporting thin tube;

[0015] The pre-cured block has a conical structure with a diameter at the top smaller than that at the bottom, and a conical air blowing ring cavity is formed inside it. The air blowing direction of the conical air blowing ring cavity is set to be obliquely upward.

[0016] Furthermore, at least three pre-cured light panels are installed on the pre-cured block, and the pre-cured light panels are arranged in a ring array around the center of the pre-cured block; each pre-cured light panel is provided with at least two pre-cured light sources at intervals from top to bottom.

[0017] Furthermore, the pre-cured light panel is tilted in the vertical direction, and its tilt direction is gradually away from the central axis of the pre-cured block from bottom to top.

[0018] Furthermore, the conduit coating assembly includes a mounting plate disposed on the movable end of the second movable module and multiple connectors arrayed on the mounting plate; the number of supporting tubes corresponds one-to-one with the number of connectors, and each supporting tube can be movably inserted into the corresponding connector.

[0019] A gas channel is formed inside the supporting capillary tube, and an air outlet communicating with the gas channel is opened at its bottom; the sealing element is an inflatable airbag located at the distal end of the supporting capillary tube. The inflatable airbag is configured to inflate through the gas channel to seal the distal opening of the angiography catheter when the supporting capillary tube moves to the distal end of the angiography catheter lumen.

[0020] Furthermore, the connector includes a fixing part fixed to the mounting plate and an elastic connecting part connected to the lower end of the fixing part. The elastic connecting part is formed as a tubular structure with a narrower inner diameter in the middle section and a wider inner diameter at the upper and lower ends.

[0021] Furthermore, at least one electric push rod is installed on each of the opposite sides of the mounting plate. A hollow connecting frame is installed on the top of the electric push rod. A support tube is fixedly installed on the connecting frame, and the inner cavity of the support tube is connected to the cavity of the connecting frame.

[0022] A second objective of this invention is to provide a method for coating an angiography catheter using any of the above-mentioned hydrophilic coating devices, comprising the following steps:

[0023] S1: Install the angiography catheter onto the catheter dipping assembly, control the support tube to move downward and extend into the lumen of the angiography catheter until the occlusion device reaches the distal end of the angiography catheter and seals the distal opening of the angiography catheter.

[0024] S2: Control the second moving module to drive the catheter dipping assembly to descend, so that the contrast catheter passes through the curing assembly and is immersed in the bottom solution tank or the surface hydrophilic solution tank.

[0025] S3: Control the second moving module to drive the catheter dipping assembly to rise. During the process of the contrast catheter being pulled upward, the curing assembly is activated simultaneously, so that the blowing unit blows air onto the outer surface of the contrast catheter, and at the same time, the pre-curing light source irradiates the outer surface of the contrast catheter to complete the initial curing.

[0026] S4: Turn on the main curing light source inside the cabinet to thoroughly cure the semi-cured coating on the surface of the conduit.

[0027] Furthermore, in step S1, the step of sealing the distal opening of the angiography catheter includes: inflating the balloon located at the distal end of the support tube through the gas channel inside the support tube, so that the balloon expands to seal the distal opening.

[0028] Furthermore, in step S2, the second moving module is controlled to drive the catheter dipping assembly to descend, so that the contrast catheter passes through the curing assembly and is immersed in the bottom solution tank.

[0029] After the outer surface of the angiography catheter is thoroughly cured in step S4, the first moving module is controlled to drive the catheter dipping and curing mechanism to move above the surface hydrophilic water bath; steps S2-S4 are repeated to coat the angiography catheter in the surface hydrophilic water bath and complete the curing process during the lifting process.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0031] (1) The curing component of the present invention includes a blowing unit and a pre-curing light source, which realizes the use of a combination of blowing and pre-curing during the upward lifting of the angiography catheter, effectively overcoming the gravity flow effect of the hydrophilic water solution, fundamentally solving the problems of uneven coating thickness and accumulation at the bottom of the catheter, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the coating quality, thereby significantly reducing the clinical risk of thrombosis caused by coating peeling.

[0032] (2) The catheter dipping assembly of the present invention includes a support tube for extending into the lumen of the angiography catheter and a sealing element disposed at the distal end of the support tube for sealing the distal opening of the angiography catheter; the support tube automatically supports and seals the angiography catheter, completely replacing the traditional manual insertion of the sealing mandrel, avoiding catheter damage or sealing failure caused by manual operation or tolerance matching problems, and effectively improving the product yield.

[0033] (3) The present invention sets a bottom solution tank and a surface hydrophilic water tank at intervals in the cabinet, and uses the first moving module to realize the automatic switching of the catheter immersion coating curing mechanism between the two solution tanks, so that the double hydrophilic coating can be processed simultaneously in one process, avoiding manual transfer of the angiography catheter between the bottom coating and the surface coating. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the hydrophilic coating device for angiography catheters provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a hydrophilic coating device for angiography catheters provided in this application embodiment;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the conduit dip-coating and curing mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the angiography catheter with a supporting thin tube provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the curing component provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of the pre-cured block provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0042] Figure 8 A flowchart of a coating method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Wherein: 1-Cabinet; 2-Solution tank; 3-Air blowing tube rack; 4-Conical pre-cured block; 401-Annular air outlet; 5-Pre-cured lamp plate; 6-Iconography catheter; 21-First electric slide rail; 22-First electric slider; 23-Mounting frame; 31-Second electric slide rail; 32-Second electric slider; 33-Mounting plate; 34-Connector; 341-Fixing part; 342-Elastic connection part; 41-Electric push rod; 42-Connecting frame; 43-Supporting thin tube; 44-Inflatable airbag. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0045] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 To be continued Figure 8 The invention is described in detail with specific embodiments.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The hydrophilic coating equipment in this embodiment comprises a closed cabinet 1. This cabinet 1 not only provides a clean and controlled working environment for the internal components but also ensures the safety of the operators. The internal space of the cabinet 1 is divided into two basically symmetrical workstations, left and right. At the bottom of the cabinet 1, two solution tanks 2 are arranged side by side at intervals. These two solution tanks are used to hold hydrophilic solutions of different components or concentrations. Specifically, the solution tank 2 on the left can serve as the bottom solution tank for coating the bottom layer; while the solution tank 2 on the right can serve as the top hydrophilic solution tank for coating the top layer. It can be understood that this dual solution tank layout lays the foundation for the subsequent bottom and top coating processes.

[0047] Reference Figure 2A first moving module is installed on the top inner wall of the cabinet 1. In this embodiment, the first moving module is specifically manifested as a horizontally set bottom-to-surface switching system. The first moving module mainly includes a first electric slide rail 21 arranged along the first electric slide rail 21 spanning two solution tanks 2 and a first electric slider 22 that can move on it. A mounting frame 23 is fixed below the first electric slider 22 by a connector. By driving the first electric slider 22 to make precise horizontal reciprocating motion along the first electric slide rail 21 through the control system, the entire mounting frame 23 can be driven to switch the workstation between the bottom solution tank on the left and the surface hydrophilic water tank on the right. This design allows a batch of conduits to be quickly and automatically transferred to the surface coating workstation after the bottom coating is completed. It should be noted that this application does not limit the number of conduit dipping and curing mechanisms and the first moving module. For example, two first moving modules and two corresponding conduit dipping and curing mechanisms can be arranged in parallel in the cabinet, and their operation can be controlled by the control system.

[0048] It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific structure of the first moving module. In other embodiments, the first moving module includes a vertically rotating spindle and a turntable fixed to the spindle and driven to rotate by a servo motor. A mounting bracket similar to that in the above embodiment is fixed to the edge of the turntable. Correspondingly, the two spaced-apart solution tanks are also arranged in a ring. The principle implemented in this embodiment is the same as that in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0049] In this embodiment, the mounting bracket 23 integrates a series of mechanisms that realize core functions such as conduit impregnation and curing. These mechanisms together constitute the conduit impregnation and curing mechanism. Specifically, as follows... Figure 3 As shown, vertical second electric slide rails 31 are fixed on both sides of the interior of the mounting bracket 23, and second electric sliders 32 are slidably connected to them. A mounting plate 33 is fixedly connected between the two second electric sliders 32. The second electric slide rails 31 and the second electric sliders 32 together constitute the second moving module, which drives the mounting plate 33 and all components fixed on it to perform precise vertical lifting and lowering movements, thereby realizing the actions of immersing the contrast catheter into the solution tank 2 and lifting it out of the solution tank 2. By precisely controlling the descent speed, immersion depth, dwell time, and lifting speed of the second electric sliders 32, the stability and consistency of the coating process parameters can be ensured.

[0050] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, multiple connectors 34 are arrayed on the mounting plate 33 for quickly and reliably securing the contrast catheter to be processed. Each connector 34 corresponds to one contrast catheter 6. As an optional implementation, refer to... Figure 6The connector 34 includes a fixing part 341 fixed to the mounting plate 33 and an elastic connecting part 342 connected to the lower end of the fixing part 341. The elastic connecting part 342 can be made of a polymer material with a certain degree of toughness (such as polyoxymethylene or nylon), and its interior forms a special tubular structure. The inner diameter of the middle section of this tubular structure is narrowed, while the inner diameters of the upper and lower ends are relatively widened. Utilizing the elasticity of the material, when the catheter seat of the contrast catheter 6 is pushed in from below, the catheter seat can expand the narrowed middle section and be firmly held in place, achieving rapid installation; and when removing it, only a certain pulling force is needed to dislodge it. This design simplifies manual operation and improves loading and unloading efficiency.

[0051] To address the issue of requiring manual sealing of the distal opening of the catheter in existing technologies, this embodiment includes at least one electric push rod 41 installed on each of the opposite sides of the mounting plate 33. The ends of these electric push rods 41 are collectively fixed to a hollow connecting frame 42. Multiple support tubes 43, corresponding one-to-one with the lower connecting head 34, are fixedly installed on the connecting frame 42. Each support tube 43 is made of a slender metal or rigid plastic tube, long enough to extend into and penetrate the lumen of the angiography catheter 6 to be processed. At the distal end of each support tube 43, i.e., the very end, a sealing element is provided. In this embodiment, the sealing element is specifically a retractable and inflatable airbag 44.

[0052] See Figure 4 Before the coating process begins, the contrast catheter 6 is fixed to the connector 34, while the supporting tube 43 and its distal inflatable bladder 44 are positioned directly above the inlet of the contrast catheter 6. Subsequently, the control system drives the electric push rod 41 to retract, causing the connector 42 to move downwards as a whole. Since the supporting tube 43 is aligned with the central axis of the connector 34, it smoothly passes through the central hole of the connector 34 and extends into the inner lumen of the contrast catheter 6. This downward movement continues until the distal end of the supporting tube 43 (i.e., where the inflatable bladder 44 is located) reaches near the distal opening of the contrast catheter 6. At this point, the supporting tube 43 itself plays a crucial role in internal straightening and support of the flexible contrast catheter 6, preventing it from contacting the inner wall of the solution tank 2 due to bending during subsequent coating, thus avoiding uneven coating. Simultaneously, the sealing method using the inflatable bladder 44 significantly saves manpower and material costs.

[0053] As an optional implementation, the interior of the supporting tube 43 is hollow, forming a gas channel. One end of this gas channel is connected to an external air source (e.g., a miniature air pump, not shown) through the cavity of the connecting frame 42, while the other end has an air outlet located inside the inflatable bladder 44 at the distal end of the supporting tube 43. When the supporting tube 43 is fully inserted, the control system activates the air pump, and compressed air is delivered to the inflatable bladder 44 through the cavity of the connecting frame 42 and the gas channel inside the supporting tube 43, causing it to inflate. The inflated bladder 44 has a larger outer diameter, allowing it to tightly fit and seal the distal opening of the angiography catheter. This automated pneumatic sealing method not only completely replaces the cumbersome and error-prone manual insertion of the sealing mandrel, but also, due to the flexible expansion characteristics of the inflatable bladder, can adapt to catheters with different inner diameter tolerances, achieving reliable and non-damaging sealing. This effectively prevents hydrophilic water from contaminating the catheter lumen, significantly improving product yield.

[0054] To address the core problem of uneven coating thickness caused by gravity sagging in existing technologies, this application's embodiments feature a unique curing component. Please refer to... Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 To understand this, a blowing tube frame 3 is provided directly above each solution tank 2, and is fixedly connected to the lower part of the mounting frame 23. Multiple blowing units, corresponding one-to-one with the positions of the contrast catheters 6, are arrayed on the blowing tube frame 3. In this embodiment, each blowing unit is specifically a hollow, conical pre-cured block 4. (The text abruptly ends here.) Figure 7 As shown in the cross-sectional view, the conical pre-cured block 4 has an overall conical structure with a diameter at the upper end smaller than that at the lower end, and a through hole in the center for the contrast catheter to pass through. Inside the conical pre-cured block 4, a conical air blowing ring cavity is formed around the central through hole. This conical air blowing ring cavity is connected to an external air source, and the upper end of the conical air blowing ring cavity is an annular air outlet 401. When compressed air is introduced, an upward-blowing annular air curtain is formed around the contrast catheter 6.

[0055] Meanwhile, a pre-cured light source is also integrated on the outer surface of each conical pre-cured block 4. Specifically, as shown... Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, at least three (three in this embodiment) pre-curing lamp plates 5 are installed on the outer periphery of each conical pre-curing block 4. These pre-curing lamp plates 5 are evenly distributed in a ring array around the central axis of the conical pre-curing block 4, ensuring omnidirectional illumination of the contrast catheter. On each pre-curing lamp plate 5, at least two (multiple in this embodiment) pre-curing light sources are spaced apart from top to bottom. These light sources are preferably ultraviolet light-emitting diodes capable of emitting specific wavelengths. As a more optimized design, such as... Figure 7 As shown, these pre-cured light panels 5 can be set slightly tilted in the vertical direction. Specifically, the tilt direction is gradually away from the central axis of the conical pre-cured block 4 from bottom to top, forming a shape similar to a "trumpet mouth". This tilt setting helps the light to better cover the part of the angiography catheter that has just been lifted from the liquid surface.

[0056] The aforementioned blowing unit (conical pre-curing block 4) and pre-curing light source (UV lamp on pre-curing lamp plate 5) together constitute the core of the curing assembly, realizing synchronous blowing and pre-curing during the catheter lifting process. The specific working process is as follows: when the second moving module drives the mounting plate 33 to lift the catheter upwards from the solution tank 2, the control system simultaneously activates the curing assembly. The blowing ring cavity of the conical pre-curing block 4 blows air upwards, which generates an upward thrust on the liquid film on the surface of the contrast catheter 6, effectively counteracting and preventing the downward flow of the liquid film. Simultaneously, the UV light source on the annularly distributed pre-curing lamp plate 5 is turned on, providing preliminary, low-energy irradiation to the liquid film that has just left the liquid surface and is supported by the airflow. The purpose of this irradiation is to induce a preliminary cross-linking reaction in the solution within a very short time, causing its viscosity to increase dramatically, reaching a non-flowing semi-cured (or surface-dried) state. By combining air blowing and pre-curing, the problem of gravity sagging is fundamentally solved, ensuring that the coating thickness is uniform throughout the entire coating section from top to bottom, and avoiding the formation of droplet accumulation at the far end of the conduit.

[0057] Of course, in other embodiments, the blowing unit can be configured as multiple independently adjustable micro-nozzles with adjustable angles and flow rates surrounding the contrast catheter 6. The outlets of these micro-nozzles all face obliquely upwards, aligned with the outer surface of the contrast catheter. During the catheter lifting phase, these micro-nozzles simultaneously blow out a fine airflow upwards. This airflow converges around the catheter to form a uniform, spiraling, or vertically rising air curtain, creating a more controllable airflow field, thus more effectively counteracting the downward flow of the hydrophilic solution due to gravity. Correspondingly, the pre-curing light source also uses other structures, such as a ring-shaped ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV) light strip. When the contrast catheter is lifted, the ring-shaped light strip emits light as a whole, enabling uniform pre-curing irradiation of the outer surface of the contrast catheter from all directions. Therefore, this application does not limit the specific structure of the blowing unit and the pre-curing light source; any design that realizes the technical concept of this application falls within the protection scope of this application.

[0058] See Figure 8 This application also provides a coating method, comprising the following steps:

[0059] Step S1: Install the catheters. The operator inserts a batch of angiography catheters 6, one by one, into the connectors 34 on the mounting plate 33 on the left side (bottom position) through their catheter seats. The operator controls the electric push rod 41 to move the connecting frame 42 and its supporting tubes 43 downwards, allowing each supporting tube 43 to extend into the lumen of its corresponding angiography catheter 6 until the inflatable balloon 44 at its end reaches the distal opening of the angiography catheter 6. Subsequently, the air pump is activated, inflating all the inflatable balloons 44 through the air passages, causing them to expand and reliably seal the distal openings of all catheters.

[0060] Step S2: The contrast catheter is immersed in the bottom solution. The second moving module is activated, and the second electric slider 32 drives the mounting plate 33 and the entire batch of contrast catheters to descend smoothly. The contrast catheters 6 pass through the curing assembly below in sequence, and their distal ends are finally immersed in the bottom solution tank below. The immersion is carried out for a preset period of time to ensure that the outer surface of the contrast catheters 6 is fully wetted and a uniform liquid film is attached.

[0061] Step S3: Lifting and Simultaneous Air Blowing for Pre-curing. After the soaking time is completed, the second moving module moves in the opposite direction, lifting the contrast catheter 6 upwards at a set uniform speed. During the upward lifting of the contrast catheter 6, once the surface of the contrast catheter 6 begins to detach from the liquid surface, the control system immediately and synchronously activates the curing component. The conical pre-curing block 4 blows air upwards, and at the same time, the ultraviolet light source on the pre-curing lamp plate 5 is turned on to blow air and initially irradiate the outer surface of the contrast catheter 6, completing the initial curing and forming a semi-cured coating.

[0062] Step S4: Final Curing of the Underlying Layer. After the contrast catheter 6 is completely pulled out of the solution tank and rises to its highest point, the pre-curing light source and blowing process can be stopped. At this time, the main curing light source (e.g., a more powerful ultraviolet lamp, not shown) installed inside the cabinet 1 is turned on to continuously irradiate the semi-cured coating on the surface of the contrast catheter 6 with higher energy, so that it is completely cured and forms a firm and smooth underlying coating.

[0063] Step S5: Switch to the surface coating station. After the bottom layer curing is completed, the first moving module is activated, and the first electric slider 22 moves the entire mounting frame 23, along with the angiography catheter fixed on it that has completed the bottom layer coating, horizontally to the right until it reaches directly above the right-side surface hydrophilic solution tank. At the right-side station, the system repeats operations similar to steps S2 to S4: lowering the angiography catheter 6 to immerse it in the surface solution, simultaneously blowing air and pre-curing during the lifting process, and performing final surface curing after lifting into position. After all coating processes are completed, the control system applies negative pressure to the air passage of the expansion bladder 44 or allows it to naturally deflate, causing the expansion bladder to contract and release the blockage on the distal end of the angiography catheter 6. Subsequently, the electric push rod 41 extends, driving the connecting frame 42 and the supporting thin tube 43 to move upward as a whole, completely withdrawing them from the inner cavity of the angiography catheter 6. Finally, the operator removes the finished angiography catheter with the double-layer hydrophilic coating treatment from the connector 34. This completes one automated coating cycle.

[0064] The coating method provided in this embodiment helps to obtain a high-quality hydrophilic coating with uniform outer diameter and no bottom buildup, thereby improving the safety of the product for clinical use. Simultaneously, the automated support and occlusion of the angiography catheter can effectively improve production efficiency and reduce labor costs and product defect rates.

[0065] The present invention has been further described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be understood that the specific description herein should not be construed as limiting the nature and scope of the present invention. Various modifications made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art after reading this specification are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hydrophilic coating device for angiography catheters, characterized in that, include: Cabinet; The bottom solution tank and the surface hydrophilic solution tank are spaced apart inside the cabinet. Conduit dip-coating and curing mechanism; The first moving module is installed on the top of the cabinet and is used to drive the conduit dipping and curing mechanism to move between the bottom solution tank and the surface hydrophilic solution tank; The conduit dip-coating and curing mechanism includes: The catheter dipping assembly is connected to the first movable module. The catheter dipping assembly includes a support tube for extending into the lumen of the angiography catheter and a sealing member disposed at the distal end of the support tube for sealing the distal opening of the angiography catheter. The second moving module is installed on the first moving module and is used to drive the conduit coating assembly to move in the vertical direction; A curing assembly is connected to the first moving module and located above the bottom solution tank or the surface hydrophilic water tank and below the catheter dipping assembly. The curing assembly includes a blowing unit and a pre-curing light source. The blowing unit and the pre-curing light source are arranged around the contrast catheter. During the process of the catheter dipping assembly lifting the contrast catheter from the bottom solution tank or the surface hydrophilic water tank upwards, the blowing unit blows air onto the outer surface of the contrast catheter, and at the same time the pre-curing light source irradiates and cures the outer surface of the contrast catheter. The curing component also includes an air blowing tube frame disposed on the first moving module, and the air blowing unit is a plurality of pre-cured blocks arranged in an array on the air blowing tube frame and corresponding one-to-one with the supporting thin tube; The pre-cured block has a conical structure with a diameter at the upper end smaller than that at the lower end, and a conical air blowing ring cavity is formed inside it. The air blowing direction of the conical air blowing ring cavity is set to be obliquely upward. At least three pre-cured light panels are installed on the pre-cured block, and the pre-cured light panels are arranged in a ring array around the center of the pre-cured block; each pre-cured light panel is provided with at least two pre-cured light sources at intervals from top to bottom.

2. The hydrophilic coating device for contrast catheters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-cured light panel is tilted in the vertical direction, and its tilt direction is gradually away from the central axis of the pre-cured block from bottom to top.

3. The hydrophilic coating device for contrast catheters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The catheter dipping assembly includes a mounting plate disposed on the movable end of the second movable module and a plurality of connectors arrayed on the mounting plate; the number of supporting tubes corresponds one-to-one with the number of connectors, and each supporting tube can be movably inserted into the corresponding connector. A gas channel is formed inside the supporting thin tube, and an air outlet communicating with the gas channel is opened at its bottom; the sealing element is an inflatable airbag disposed at the distal end of the supporting thin tube, and the inflatable airbag is configured to inflate through the gas channel to block the distal opening of the angiography catheter when the supporting thin tube moves to the distal end of the angiography catheter lumen.

4. The hydrophilic coating device for contrast catheters according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connector includes a fixing part fixed to the mounting plate and an elastic connecting part connected to the lower end of the fixing part. The elastic connecting part is formed as a tubular structure with a narrower inner diameter in the middle section and a wider inner diameter at the upper and lower ends.

5. The hydrophilic coating device for contrast catheters according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one electric push rod is installed on each of the opposite sides of the mounting plate. A hollow connecting frame is installed on the top of the electric push rod. The supporting thin tube is fixedly installed on the connecting frame, and the inner cavity of the supporting thin tube is connected to the cavity of the connecting frame.

6. A method for coating an angiography catheter using the hydrophilic coating device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Install the angiography catheter onto the catheter dipping assembly, control the support tube to move downward and extend into the inner lumen of the angiography catheter until the occlusion member reaches the distal end of the angiography catheter and seals the distal opening of the angiography catheter. S2: Control the second moving module to drive the catheter dipping assembly to descend, so that the contrast catheter passes through the curing assembly and is immersed in the bottom solution tank or the surface hydrophilic solution tank; S3: Control the second moving module to drive the catheter dipping assembly to rise. During the process of the contrast catheter being pulled upward, the curing assembly is started simultaneously, so that the blowing unit blows air onto the outer surface of the contrast catheter, and at the same time the pre-curing light source irradiates the outer surface of the contrast catheter to complete the initial curing. S4: Turn on the main curing light source inside the cabinet to thoroughly cure the semi-cured coating on the surface of the conduit.

7. The coating method according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S1, the step of sealing the distal opening of the angiography catheter includes: inflating the inflatable balloon located at the distal end of the support tube through the gas channel in the support tube, so that the inflatable balloon expands to seal the distal opening.

8. The coating method according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S2, the second moving module is controlled to drive the catheter dipping assembly to descend, so that the contrast catheter passes through the curing assembly and is immersed in the bottom solution tank; After the outer surface of the angiography catheter is thoroughly cured in step S4, the first moving module is controlled to drive the catheter dipping and curing mechanism to move above the surface hydrophilic water bath; steps S2-S4 are repeated to coat the angiography catheter in the surface hydrophilic water bath and complete the curing process during the lifting process.

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