HPPE member and method of making a HPPE member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687593-B2
Application number	US-201113992342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2011
Priority date	Dec 10, 2010
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

The invention concerns a high performance polyethylene (HPPE) member comprising at least 5 wt-% of a radiopaque component, the HPPE member is biocompatible and the radiopaque component is a particulate at least partially arranged inside a HPPE filament of the HPPE member. Furthermore, the radiopaque component has a particle size of at most 1 μm, preferably the radiopaque component has a particle size if at most 0.5 μm. The invention also concerns a method of making the HPPE member and various medical devices and repair products comprising the HPPE member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A high performance polyethylene (HPPE) member comprising at least 5 wt % of a radiopaque component, wherein
the HPPE member is a multifilament yarn comprising at least one HPPE filament with a diameter of less than 18 μm, wherein
the HPPE member has a Young's modulus of at least 30 GPa, an ultimate tensile strength of at least 1.5 GPa and is biocompatible, and wherein
the radiopaque component is a particulate having a particle size of at least 0.05 μm and at most 1 μm which is at least partially arranged inside the at least one HPPE filament.

2. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the radiopaque component has a particle size of at most 0.5 μm.

3. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the HPPE member has an ultimate tensile strength of at least 3.0 GPa.

4. The HPPE member according to claim 3 , wherein the ultimate tensile strength of the HPPE member is at least 3.5 GPa.

5. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the radiopaque particulate component is Bi 2 O 3 or tantalum.

6. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , comprising at least 15 wt % and less than 60 wt % of the radiopaque component.

7. The HPPE member according to claim 6 , comprising at least 25 wt % of the radiopaque component.

8. The HPPE member according to claim 6 , comprising at least 35 wt % of the radiopaque component.

9. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the HPPE member has a linear attenuation coefficient of at least 1 cm −1 at 40 keV X-ray radiation.

10. The HPPE member according to claim 9 , wherein the linear attenuation coefficient of the HPPE member is at least 5 cm −1 at 40 keV X-ray radiation.

11. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the radiopaque component content variation is less than 2 wt % in a length direction of the HPPE member.

12. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the radiopaque particulate component is Bi 2 O 3 .

13. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the HPPE member is a multifilament yarn with a filament diameter of at least 5 μm.

14. The HPPE member according to claim 1 , wherein the HPPE member is a multifilament yarn with a filament diameter of at least 5 μm and less than 15 μm.

15. A method of manufacturing the HPPE member according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing a mixture of HPPE in a solvent,
(b) feeding the mixture to an extruder,
(c) adding the particulate radiopaque component to the extruder in an amount of at least 5 wt % based on total weight of the HPPE and the radiopaque component,
(c) extruding the HPPE member into an air gap,
(d) cooling the HPPE member in a quench bath, and
(e) stretching the HPPE member before, during or after removing at least a part of the solvent therefrom.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the radiopaque component is added to the extruder as a solid or as a stable mixture comprising at least one solvent.

17. A medical repair product or implant comprising the HPPE member according to claim 1 .

18. The medical repair product or implant according to claim 17 , wherein the medical repair product or implant is a medical suture, a medical cable, a laminar wire, a tether, a graft, a heart valve, an intervertebral disc, a distal/embolic protection device, a medical mesh or a pacing lead.

19. The medical repair product or implant according to claim 17 , wherein the medical repair product or implant comprises at least 50 wt % of HPPE members.

20. The medical repair product or implant according to claim 17 , wherein the medical repair product or implant comprises at least 80 wt % of HPPE members.

21. The medical repair product according to claim 17 , wherein the medical repair product is an elongated medical repair product.

22. The medical repair product or implant according to claim 17 , wherein at least a part of the medical repair product or implant has an X-ray linear attenuation coefficient of at least 1 cm −1 at 40 keV X-ray radiation.

23. A medical device comprising the HPPE member according to claim 1 .

24. The medical device according to claim 23 , wherein the medical device is a medical balloon, a catheter, a pacing lead, a distal/embolic protection device, or an operation glove or a protective garment.

Assignees

• Vaz Claudia Maria
• Bremer Leonardus Gerardus Bernardus
• Simmelink Joseph Arnold Paul Maria
• Dorschu Marko
• Goossens Jozef Maria Rudi Hendrik
• Van Der Werff Harm
• Dsm Ip Assets Bv

Inventors

• Vaz Claudia Maria
• Bremer Leonardus Gerardus Bernardus
• Simmelink Joseph Arnold Paul Maria
• Dorschu Marko
• Goossens Jozef Maria Rudi Hendrik
• Van Der Werff Harm

Classifications

• C08L23/06

  Polyethylene · CPC title

• C08L2207/062

  HDPE · CPC title

• Y10T428/2927

  including structurally defined particulate matter · CPC title

• A61L27/16

  obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• C08K3/22

  of metals · CPC title