Urethral catheter capable of preventing urinary tract infection and process for producing the same

Claim 2

A urethral catheter capable of preventing urinary tract infection which comprises providing a polymeric coating layer on the inside and/or the outside wall of a urethral catheter which is composed of a polymeric base material, and subsequently introducing an antimicrobial substance into the polymeric coating layer, characterised in that the polymeric base material is selected from an olefin polymer, a diene polymer and a silicone polymer, in that the polymeric coating layer contains ion exchange groups which are carboxyl groups obtained by hydrolysis of anhydride groups contained in the reaction product of (1) a polyfunctional compound having a plurality of hydroxy groups and an excess amount of (2) a mixture of (A) 0.5 to 99.5 parts by weight of a copolymer composed of maleic acid anhydride and a copolymerizable aromatic vinyl monomer or olefin monomer and (B) 0.5 to 99.5 parts by weight of a copolymer composed of maleic acid anhydride and copolymerizable aliphatic vinyl ether or aliphatic vinyl ester, and in that said antimicrobial substance is ionically bonded with said ion exchange groups.

Claim 3

A urethral catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said aromatic vinyl monomer is styrene.

Claim 4

A urethral catheter as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said olefin monomer is ethylene or propylene.

Claim 5

A urethral catheter as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said aliphatic vinyl ether is that wtuctrls setected from methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether and butanediol vinyl ether.

Claim 6

A urethral catheter as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said aliphatic vinyl ester is vinyl acetate.

Claim 7

A process for producing a urethral catheter capable of preventing urinary tract infection which comprises providing a polymeric coating layer on the inside and/or the outside wall of a urethral catheter which is composed of a polymeric base material, and subsequently introducing an antimicrobial substance into the polymeric coating layer, characterised in that the polymeric base material is selected from an olefin polymer, a diene polymer and a silicone polymer, in that the polymeric coating layer contains ion exchange groups which are carboxyl groups obtained by hydrolysis of anhydride groups contained in the reaction product of (1) a polyfunctional compound having a plurality of hydroxy groups and an excess amount of (2) a mixture of (A) 0.5 to 99.5 parts by weight of a copolymer composed of maleic acid anhydride and a copolymerizable aromatic vinyl monomer or olefin monomer and (B) 0.5 to 99.5 parts by weight of a copolymer composed of maleic acid anhydride and copolymerizable aliphatic vinyl ether or aliphatic vinyl ester, and in that said antimicrobial substance is ionically bonded with said ion exchange groups.

Claim 8

A process for producing a urethral catheter capable of preventing urinary tract infection which comprises providing a polymeric coating layer on the inside and/or the outside wall of a urethral catheter which is composed of a polymeric base material, and subsequently introducing an antimicrobial substance into the polymeric coating layer, characterised in that the polymeric base material is selected from an olefin polymer, a diene polymer and a silicone polymer, in that the polymeric coating layer contains ion exchange groups which are carboxyl groups obtained by hydrolysis of anhydride groups contained in the reaction product of (1) a polyfunctional compound having a plurality of hydroxy groups and an excess amount of (2) a mixture of (A) 0.5 to 99.5 parts by weight of a copolymer composed of maleic acid anhydride and a copolymerizable aromatic vinyl monomer or olefin monomer and (B) 0.5 to 99.5 parts by weight of a copolymer composed of maleic acid anhydride and copolymerizable aliphatic vinyl ether or aliphatic vinyl ester, and in that said antimicrobial substance is ionically bonded with said ion exchange groups.

Claim 9

A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein said aromatic vinyl monomer is styrene.

Claim 10

A process as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said olefin monomer is ethylene or propylene.

Claim 11

A process as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein said aliphatic vinyl ether is that which is selected from methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether and butanediol vinyl ether.

Claim 12

A process as claimed in claim 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein said aliphatic vinyl ester is vinyl acetate.

Claim 13

A process as claimed in Claim 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein said polyfunctional compound having hydroxyl groups is selected from polyol, polyester having hydroxyl groups on both ends, cellulose derivatives, polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol derivatives.

Claim 14

A process as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said polyol is polyethylene glycol.