초록 ▼

Catheters and other medical devices include plural layers of metals applied to the outer surfaces, which tend to close minuscule cracks through which corrosion may attack the underlying support. In some avatars, the initial layer of material is preferably silver, applied following specific preparati

Catheters and other medical devices include plural layers of metals applied to the outer surfaces, which tend to close minuscule cracks through which corrosion may attack the underlying support. In some avatars, the initial layer of material is preferably silver, applied following specific preparation steps. In other embodiments, succeeding layers of metal completely cover the initial layer, and are also of silver. The succeeding layers are deposited after deposition of the prior layer, and tend to reduce the incidence of microscopic pores or cracks and are less prone to delamination. The succeeding layers are preferably of mutually different metals between layers. In a particular avatar, in which the exposed metals are oligodynamic silver and more noble platinum, the exposed silver layer lies over a portion of the platinum layer, to thereby prevent corrosion of the silver layer from disconnecting portions of the silver layer. Fabrication methods include deposition of successive layers by means of sputtering in a longitudinal array of cylindrical magnetron sections, in which each section applies one layer of the coating over the coating applied by the preceding section. The magnetron sections may be energized and deenergized in a temporal pattern associated with the progress of the workpiece material through the array, to thereby cover or expose particular longitudinal layers. In some embodiments, a first layer of electrically conductive material is deposited by electroless methods particularly in the lumen, following which additional layers may be applied by conventional electrolytic deposition. An electroless method according to the invention includes preparation steps which may include ultrasonically cleaning the surface with a solution of isopropyl alcohol, then drying the surface with a stream of dry gas, and etching the surface with a solution of sodium naphthalene in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for fabricating a catheter in which a lumen is metal-coated, comprising the steps of: preparing an inner surface of an elongated polymer tube; electroless depositing a layer of a metal onto said inner surface, wherein said step of preparing said inner surface comprises the steps of: cleanin

A method for fabricating a catheter in which a lumen is metal-coated, comprising the steps of: preparing an inner surface of an elongated polymer tube; electroless depositing a layer of a metal onto said inner surface, wherein said step of preparing said inner surface comprises the steps of: cleaning said inner surface with an ultrasonic cleaner in a solution of one of 2-Propanol and isopropyl alcohol CH3CHOHCH3; drying; and etching said inner surface with a solution of sodium naphthalene in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether with a concentration of sodium naphthalene of approximately 0.7 Mol/liter.