A medical device ( 110 ) including a catheter shaft ( 111 ) and a unitarily and continuously formed portion ( 108 ) having a varying durometer, and optionally including an expandable balloon ( 18, 118 ). One or both of the unitarily and continuously formed portion ( 108 ) and the balloon ( 18, 118 ) are made from an irradiation cross-linked or cross-linkable mixture of a polyamide elastomer and at least one additional cross-linking reactant. The polyamide elastomer can be a polyester amide, a polyether ester amide or a polyether amide, and is preferably a nylon block copolymer. The aromatic molecule can be 1,3,5 triethyl benzene; 1,2,4 triethyl benzene; and 1,3,5 triisopropyl benzene. The cross-linking reactant can be: (a) a difunctional material, (b) a trifunctional material, (c) a tetrafunctional material, or (d) an aromatic molecule containing at least two ring substituents, each of the ring substituents having labile hydrogens at a benzylic site therein. The cross-linking reactant can also be diallyl phthalate or meta-phenylene dimaleimide.

Medical device including unitary, continuous portion of varying durometer

The invention relates to thermoplastic molding compounds, containing: A) 10 to 99 wt.-% of at least one thermoplastic polyamide, B) 0.01 to 30 wt.-% of at least one highly-branched or hyper-branched polyether amine, C) 0 to 70 wt.-% of further additives, wherein the sum of the weight percentages of said components A) through C) results as 100%.

Thermoplastic polyamides having polyether amines

A medical device ( 10 ) includes a catheter shaft ( 11 ) including inner and outer catheter shafts ( 12 and 14 ), and an expandable balloon ( 18 ) carried by the catheter shaft ( 11 ). The balloon ( 18 ) is made from an irradiation cross-linked mixture of a polyamide elastomer and at least one additional cross-linking reactant. The polyamide elastomer can be a polyester amide, a polyether ester amide or a polyether amide, and is preferably a nylon block copolymer. The cross-linking reactant can be: (a) a difunctional material, (b) a trifunctional material, (c) a tetrafunctional material, or (d) an aromatic molecule containing at least two ring substituents, each of the ring substituents having labile hydrogens at a benzylic site therein. The cross-linking reactant can also be diallyl phthalate or meta-phenylene dimaleimide. Irradiation is carried out by exposure to an electron beam or to ultraviolet, X- or gamma radiation, preferably at a total fluence of about 0.5 to about 20 megarads. The amount of the cross-linking reactant is selected to avoid the formation of gelling during the process by which the balloon ( 18 ) is made, and the amount of the cross-linking agent and the irradiation fluence are selected to give the balloon a strength generally about equal to that which would be obtained by mere irradiation.

Medical device including improved expandable balloon

An apparatus (10) for warming a vessel (12), such as a baby bottle with milk or formula therein, includes a panel of expandable material (14) having a number of flexible heating elements (26) embedded therein. The expandable material includes an outer layer of neoprene rubber (46) and an inner layer of stretchable polyester material (28), such as lycra. The heating elements (26) are finger-like in construction and can flexibly adjust relative to one another to closely accommodate and conform to a baby bottle (12) inserted into the apparatus (10). The heating elements (26) are made of an electrically resistive material and receive electricity from a power supply.

Apparatus for heating bottles and method of manufacturing same

A cross-linked nylon block copolymer comprising a copolymer containing a polyamide block and an elastomeric block, irradiation cross-linked, including a compound which promotes cross-linking therein. In process form, the present invention comprises supplying a nylon block copolymer, containing a polyamide block and an elastomeric block, along with cross-linking promotor and exposing the block copolymer to irradiation, sufficient to cross-link the copolymer and improve mechanical properties therein. The cross-linked nylon block copolymers here have particular utility in both the medical and wire and cable industries.

Cross-linked nylon block copolymers

A nylon block copolymer prepared from acyl lactam functionalized materials and lactam monomer and cross-linked by a polyfunctional amine.

PROCESS FOR PREPARING NYLON BLOCK COPOLYMER AND COMPOSITION FOR USE IN THE SAME ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for preparing a nylon-6 block copolymer in which a solution comprising an acyl-lactam, epsilon-caprolactam and magnesium chloride is brought into reactive admixture with a solution of magnesium dilactam in epsilon-caprolactam. The acyl-lactam magnesium chloride solution is prepared by reaction of an acid halide functional material and magnesium dilactam.

Process for preparing nylon block copolymers and composition for use in the same

A composition containing acid halide functional materials, which are useful in the preparation of nylon block polymers, selected from the group consisting of: ##STR1## wherein, X is a halogen; a is an integer equal to 1, 2 or 3; b is an integer equal to 2 or more; R is a di- or a poly-valent group selected from hydrocarbon groups and hydrocarbon groups containing ether linkages; Z is a segment of: (1) a polyether; (2) a polyester containing polyether polyester hydrocarbon segments, (3) a hydrocarbon; (4) a polysiloxane; or (5) combinations thereof.

Acid halide functional materials

A composition containing one or more acid halide functional materials selected from those of the formula: wherein: X is halogen; b is an integer equal to 2 or more; R is an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, halogen, alkyloxy, aryloxy, aralkyloxy of Z is a segment of: (1) a polyether, provided said polyether is not solely a polyarylene polyether; (2) a polyester containing polyether or polymeric hydrocarbon segments; (3) a hydrocarbon; (4) a polysiloxane; or (5) mixtures thereof, wherein the average value of b of all the acid halide functional materials in said composition is greater than two. The composition is useful for preparing nylon block polymers.

Acid halide functional materials and process for their preparation

A process for preparing a nylon-6 block copolymer in which a solution comprising an acyllactam, epsilon-caprolactam and magnesium chloride is brought into reactive admixture with a solution of magnesium dilactam in epsilon-caprolactam. The acyllactam magnesium chloride solution is prepared by reaction of an acid halide functional material and magnesium dilactam.

James Delvin Gabbert

Papers

Cross-linked nylon block copolymers

Process for preparing nylon block copolymers and composition for use in the same

Acid halide functional materials

Acid halide functional materials and process for their preparation

Process for preparing nylon block copolymers