Laser markable medical devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814040-B2
Application number	US-201816104436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2018
Priority date	Aug 18, 2017
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

Medical devices comprise a polymeric body comprising: a base polymeric formulation comprising at least a polymer or co-polymer of propylene; and an additive comprising a copolymer having a polypropylene backbone and hybrid micromolecule side-chains based on organo-functional silanes (PP-g-XSiOA) in the presence of a co-agent, for example, difunctional metallic diacrylate monomers, where “X” is an organic group or an organo-functional group, and “A” is a metal, an inorganic oxide, an inorganic hydroxide, or any other inorganic material. X may be derived from a compound selected from the group consisting of epoxy, amino, acrylate, methacryloxy, and vinyl; and A is selected from the group consisting of: silicon, (Si), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), tin (Sn); oxides thereof; hydroxides thereof; and mixtures of the foregoing. Optionally, inorganic fillers may be included. The medical devices are laser markable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical device comprising:
a polymeric body comprising:
a base polymeric formulation comprising a polymer or co-polymer of propylene; and
an additive comprising a PP-g-XSiOA copolymer having a polypropylene backbone and hybrid micromolecule side-chains based on organo-functional silanes;
the PP-g-XSiOA copolymer being in a blend with the base polymeric formulation in an amount in the range of about 0.01 to about 20.0% by weight of the blend; and

one or more laser-engraved markings in a surface of the polymeric body;
wherein the PP-g-XSiOA copolymer is according to Formula (I):

wherein “X” is an organic group or an organo-functional group; “A” is a metal, an inorganic oxide, an inorganic hydroxide, or any other inorganic material; “n” is in the range of about 78 to 99.9 mole percent; “m” is in the range of about 0.1 to 20 mole percent; “y” is in the range of 0 to 2.0 mole percent; and “Z”, when “y” is greater than 0, comprises: M-X 2 ; XSiOR; or XSiOH, wherein “M-X 2 ” is an organo-metal salt and “OR” is an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbons.

2. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric body further comprises a filler component selected from the group consisting of: TiO 2 , carbon black, graphene, antimony doped TiO 2 , Al(OH) 3 , Al(OH) 3 xH 2 O, and mixed metal oxides.

3. The medical device of claim 2 , wherein the filler is present in an amount in the range of 0.1 to 2% by weight of the blend of additive and base polymeric formulation.

4. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the base polymeric formulation comprises polypropylene, a polyethylene-polypropylene co-polymer, a polypropylene-containing thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or combinations thereof.

5. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein X of the PP-g-XSiOA copolymer is derived from a compound selected from the group consisting of epoxy, amino, acrylate, methacryloxy, and vinyl; and A is selected from the group consisting of: silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), tin (Sn); oxides thereof; hydroxides thereof; and mixtures of the foregoing.

6. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the PP-g-XSiOA copolymer has one or more of the following:
a melting point in the range of 140 to 180° C.;
a capillary viscosity in the range of 100 to 300 Pa·s at 180 s −1 ;
a weight average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of about 100,000 to about 350,000 g/mol;
a dispersity index in the range of 1.5 to 9;
a long chain branching frequency in the range of 0.007 to 0.017 per 1000 carbon; and
a melt flow rate in the range of 15 to 55 g/10 minutes.

7. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the polymeric body is transparent.

8. The medical device of claim 1 in the form of tubing, barrel, rod, or any other geometric shape.

9. The medical device of claim 1 in the absence of ink-based markings.

10. A method of making a medical device comprising:
obtaining a PP-g-XSiOA copolymer having a polypropylene backbone and hybrid micromolecule side-chains based on organo-functional silanes
combining the PP-g-XSiOA copolymer with a base polymeric formulation comprising a polymer or co-polymer of propylene to form a blend, the PP-g-XSiOA copolymer being present in the blend in an amount in the range of about 0.01 to about 20.0% by weight of the blend;
forming a polymeric body from the blend; and
engraving the polymeric body with a laser to form markings in a surface of the polymeric body;
wherein the PP-g-XSiOA copolymer is according to Formula (I):

wherein “X” is an organic group or an organo-functional group; “A” is a metal, an inorganic oxide, an inorganic hydroxide, or any other inorganic material; “n” is in the range of about 78 to 99.9 mole percent; “m” is in the range of about 0.1 to 20 mole percent; “y” is in the range of 0 to 2.0 mole percent; and “Z”, when “y” is greater than 0, comprises: M-X 2 ; XSiOR; or XSiOH, wherein “M-X 2 ” is an organo-metal salt and “OR” is an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbons.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising adding to the blend a filler component selected from the group consisting of: TiO 2 , carbon black, graphene, antimony doped TiO 2 , Al(OH) 3 , Al(OH) 3 xH 2 O, and mixed metal oxides in an amount in the range of 0.1 to 2% by weight of the blend.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the base polymeric formulation comprises polypropylene, a polyethylene-polypropylene co-polymer, a polypropylene-containing thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the polymeric body is transparent.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the medical device is in the form of tubing, barrel, rod, or any other geometric shape.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the medical device is in the absence of ink-based markings.

Assignees

• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Hermel-Davidock Theresa
• Datashvili Tea

Classifications

• C08F255/02

  on to polymers of olefins having two or three carbon atoms · CPC title

• C08L23/12

  Polypropene · CPC title

• A61L31/041

  Mixtures of macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C08K5/5425

  containing at least one C=C bond · CPC title

• C08K2003/2227

  of aluminium · CPC title