Self-Lubricating Medical Tube With Color Orientation Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical tube articles, such as catheters, face challenges with residual lubricants causing harm or irritation, difficulty in orientation during self-insertion, and increased microbial contamination, especially for patients who self-catheterize.

Innovation Solution

A medical tube article with a wall comprising a thermoplastic or thermo-curing polymer and an amphiphilic additive, combined with a second material containing a base polymer and a colouring agent, providing a low-friction lubricious surface and a visible guideline for easy orientation without additional lubricants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If surface coatings or additional lubricants are applied to medical tube articles, then the lubricious surface is improved, but residual coating and lubricant remain in the patient causing harm or irritation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubricious surfaceVSAvoidresidual coating and lubricant harm

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The amphiphilic block copolymer integrated into the catheter wall provides self-lubrication through its hydrophilic portions that migrate to the surface and interact with aqueous environments. This eliminates the need for separate lubricant applications and prevents residual lubricant harm while maintaining continuous lubricious properties during insertion and use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The catheter employs a composite material system combining a hydrophobic base material with an amphiphilic block copolymer. This composite structure allows the hydrophilic portions of the copolymer to diffuse to the surface and provide lubrication, while the hydrophobic portions remain anchored in the base material, creating a built-in lubricious surface without external coatings or lubricants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of operation

If amphiphilic molecules are used to provide lubricious surface, then low-friction surface is achieved, but difficulty in identifying catheter orientation during insertion occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelow-friction surfaceVSAvoidcatheter orientation identification

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter incorporates color coding into its structure, with different sections or portions of the catheter shaft featuring distinct colors or color patterns. This visual indication system allows patients and clinicians to easily identify the correct orientation and direction of insertion, solving the orientation identification problem while maintaining the lubricious surface properties provided by the amphiphilic block copolymer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

3Ease of operation

If additional lubricants are used with medical tube articles, then insertion ease is improved, but microbial contamination risk and production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsertion easeVSAvoidmicrobial contamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The amphiphilic block copolymer integrated into the catheter wall provides self-lubrication without requiring external lubricants. The hydrophilic portions migrate to the surface and interact with bodily fluids to reduce friction during insertion, eliminating the microbial contamination risk associated with external lubricants while maintaining insertion ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention integrates the lubricious function directly into the disposable catheter structure through the amphiphilic block copolymer, eliminating the need for separate lubricant applications. This integrated approach reduces production costs by removing lubricant procurement and application steps while also eliminating microbial contamination risks from external lubricants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The combination ensures easy and safe self-insertion of medical tubes by patients, reducing the need for additional lubricants, minimizing contamination risks, and enhancing user acceptance.

Implementation Method 1

The hydrophilic portion diffuses to the surface of the catheter due to incompatibility with the hydrophobic base material and provides for a lubricious surface coating

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 2

a medical tube article which is both easier and safer to use... because it is both easier and safer to use by both medically and, in particular, non-medically trained individuals resulting in an easy to insert medical tube

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLubrication: Lubrication

Data Source

PatentUS20260014350A1Medical tube article

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 CONVATEC LTD

AI summary

The invention provides a medical tube article comprising a wall extending between a distal end and a proximal end, the wall surrounding a cavity, wherein the wall comprises a first material comprising a thermoplastic or thermo-curing polymer and an amphiphilic additive; and wherein at least a portion of the wall comprises a second material comprising at least one base polymer and a colouring agent.