Patent · US Expired

Method for producing medical materials

US5597456A · kind A · utility

75Cited by
5References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 2, 1996
Grant dateJan 28, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 2, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB29C59/142
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A plastic tube extruded from an extruder is conveyed through a plasma treatment apparatus. The plasma treatment apparatus is equipped with a tubular electrode body having a high-voltage side electrode and a grounded-side electrode disposed on a tubular insulator and a high frequency electric power source connected to the electrodes. When the plastic tube is conveyed through the electrode body with one end of the tube open to the atmosphere, a mixture of a glow discharge-stabilizing gas and a treating gas is fed into the other end of the tube and an alternating-current high-voltage is applied to generate a plasma region at a pressure near to atmospheric pressure in which the tube is treated with a glow discharge plasma. This method allows an interior and/or exterior surface of a plastic tube designed to convey a medical fluid to be continuously treated by a glow discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure to form an anti-thrombotic and blood-compatible film on the surface treated. The resulting surface-treated medical material can be produced at a comparatively low cost and maintains its original bulk material properties.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.