Antimicrobial catheters and methods

Abstract

An antimicrobial catheter (100) includes a catheter tube (102), a catheter hub (104), one or more extension legs (106), one or more extension leg attachments (108), or a combination thereof, with one or more polymer inserts (110) of a filling polymer. Each of the one or more polymer inserts provides a portion of the lumen surface (112) within the catheter component selected from the catheter tube, catheter hub, one or more extension legs, and one or more extension leg attachments. Furthermore, each of the one or more polymer inserts, upon contact with a liquid, elutes one or more antimicrobial metal species (116) therefrom. A method for producing such an antimicrobial catheter includes a polymer insert molding operation for molding a plurality of polymer inserts, and a catheter component molding operation for molding a plurality of at least one catheter component selected from the catheter tube, catheter hub, extension legs, and extension leg attachments.

Claims

1. It is an antibacterial catheter, Catheter tube and A catheter hub, wherein the proximal end portion of a catheter tube is connected to the catheter hub, One or more extension legs, wherein the distal end portion of each of the one or more extension legs is connected to a catheter hub, One or more extension leg mounting fixtures, wherein the proximal end portion of each of the one or more extension legs is made into one or more extension leg mounting fixtures, One or more polymer inserts of a filling polymer, wherein each of the one or more polymer inserts provides at least a portion of the lumen surface within a catheter component selected from a catheter tube, a catheter hub, one or more extension legs, and one or more extension leg attachments. Each polymer insert is configured to release one or more antimicrobial metal species when it comes into contact with a liquid, and An antibacterial catheter equipped with [specific features / equipment].

2. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 1, The catheter tube is an antimicrobial catheter comprising at least one polymer insert from a selection of one or more polymer inserts.

3. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 1 or 2, An antimicrobial catheter comprising an antimicrobial agent incorporated into the catheter tube, which is different from one or more antimicrobial metal species of one or more polymer inserts.

4. In the antibacterial catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A catheter hub is an antimicrobial catheter comprising at least one polymer insert from a selection of one or more polymer inserts.

5. In the antibacterial catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, An antimicrobial catheter in which each of one or more extension legs contains at least one polymer insert from one or more polymer inserts.

6. In the antibacterial catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, An antimicrobial catheter comprising one or more extension leg attachments, each extension leg attachment containing at least one polymer insert from one or more polymer inserts.

7. In the antibacterial catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The polymer insert filling polymer is an antimicrobial catheter containing the same base polymer as that of the catheter component that includes the polymer insert.

8. In the antibacterial catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The polymer insert filling polymer in the antimicrobial catheter contains a base polymer that is different from that of the catheter component containing the polymer insert.

9. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 7, A polymer insert is overmolded into the catheter component of an antimicrobial catheter.

10. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 7, Polymer inserts are antimicrobial catheters that are inserted into the catheter component.

11. In the antibacterial catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 10, An antimicrobial filler polymer is an antimicrobial catheter containing a carrier of one or more antimicrobial metal species.

12. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 11, Antimicrobial catheter, wherein the antimicrobial filler is approximately 8-15% by weight of each polymer insert of one or more polymer inserts.

13. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 11, An antimicrobial catheter comprising a zeolite as the carrier, and one or more antimicrobial metal species containing antimicrobial cations selected from silver, copper, and zinc, electrostatically held at the ion exchange site of the zeolite.

14. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 13, An antimicrobial catheter containing a liquid that ion-exchanges with antimicrobial cations selected from sodium and potassium at the ion-exchange site of the zeolite.

15. It is an antibacterial catheter, The filling polymer comprises one or more polymer inserts, Each polymer insert of one or more polymer inserts is: The catheter component provides at least a portion of the lumen surface within the catheter, selected from a catheter tube, a catheter hub, one or more extension legs, and one or more extension leg attachments. An antimicrobial catheter in which each polymer insert is configured to elute one or more antimicrobial metal cations when it comes into contact with a liquid containing dissolved cations.

16. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 15, A polymer insert is an antimicrobial catheter that is either overmolded into the catheter component or inserted into the catheter component.

17. In the antibacterial catheter according to claim 15 or 16, The antimicrobial filler of the filling polymer contains a carrier of one or more antimicrobial metal cations. An antimicrobial catheter in which the carrier is a zeolite, and one or more antimicrobial cations are selected from silver, copper, and zinc, which are electrostatically held at the ion exchange site of the zeolite for ion exchange with sodium, potassium, or a combination thereof for dissolved cations.

18. A method for preparing an antibacterial catheter, The process involves molding multiple polymer inserts of a filling polymer, wherein each polymer insert is configured to elute one or more antimicrobial metal species upon contact with a liquid. The method involves molding at least one catheter component selected from a plurality of catheter components including a catheter tube, a catheter hub, an extension leg, and an extension leg attachment, wherein the catheter component includes one or more polymer inserts that provide at least a portion of the luminal surface of the catheter component. Assembling an antimicrobial catheter from catheter components and A method for producing an antibacterial catheter equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

19. The method according to claim 18 further, The process involves compounding a base polymer with an antimicrobial filler to form a filler polymer. The antimicrobial filler is approximately 8-15% by weight of the filler polymer.

20. In the method according to claim 19, A method comprising an antimicrobial filler containing a zeolite, and one or more antimicrobial metal species containing antimicrobial cations selected from silver, copper, and zinc that are electrostatically held in the ion exchange sites of the zeolite.

21. In the method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, A method for molding at least one of multiple catheter components, comprising overmolding one or more polymer inserts within the catheter component.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21 further, After molding at least one catheter component, insert one or more polymer inserts into the catheter component. A method that includes [a certain feature].

Images