Antimicrobial device and method

Claim 1

A medical device made from a material capable of being implanted in living tissue and of long indwelling therein, which exhibits persistent antimicrobial activity in use, and comprises: a body of a polymeric material which is capable of being swelled by a swelling agent and which has been subject to such a swelling agent which contains completely dissolved therein one or more antimicrobial agents as a solute, said body being contacted by such swelling agent for a sufficient period of time to promote swelling of the body of material to enlarge the normal size and intermolecular spaces therewithin thereby causing diffusion and migration of the solution containing the selected antimicrobial agent(s) into the enlarged intermolecular spaces of the body of material by the action of the swelling agent within the body of material and said solvent being removed from said solute in the matrix of the body of material by evaporation with said solute remaining in the intermolecular spaces of the body of material and after removal of said solvent said body of material returning substantially to its original size and shape and having substantially normal intermolecular spaces with said antimicrobial agent substantially uniformly deposited therein for subsequent continuous molecular migration to and molecular diffusion through the surfaces to provide persistent antimicrobial activity at the surfaces of during use in the human body, said medical device subject to autoclaving prior to use; and said polymeric material and said antimicrobial agent(s) selected so that the rate of continuous molecular migration and molecular diffusion remains the same or is retarded by the effects of autoclaving.

Claim 8

A method of infusing antimicrobials into the body of implantable and long in-dwelling medical devices containing a body of elastomer material comprising the steps of: completely contacting the surfaces of the body of elastomer with a solution comprising a swelling agent as a solvent and at least one antimicrobial agent as a solute dissolved therein, said elastomer and said at least one antimicrobial agent selected so that the rate of diffusion of the antimicrobial agent out of the medical device will remain the same or be retarded by the effects of autoclaving. maintaining contact between the solution and the surfaces for a sufficient period of time for the solution to completely penetrate and swell and to enlarge the normal intermolecular spaces of the body of material and to diffuse the solution into the enlarged intermolecular spaces provided by the swelling; evaporating the solvent from the solution and to thereby deposit and retain the antimicrobial agent within the intermolecular spaces of the body of elastomer while causing the body of material to return substantially to its original physical shape and condition with substantially normal intermolecular spaces; and rinsing the surfaces of the treated body of material and autoclaving the treated body of material prior to use.

Claim 9

A method of infusing antimicrobials into the body of implantable and long in-dwelling medical devices containing a body of elastomer material comprising the steps of: completely contacting the surfaces of the body of elastomer with a solution comprising a swelling agent as a solvent and at least one antimicrobial agent as a solute dissolved therein, said elastomer and said at least one antimicrobial agent selected so that the rate of diffusion of the antimicrobial agent out of the medical device will remain the same or be retarded by the effects of autoclaving. maintaining contact between the solution and the surfaces for a sufficient period of time for the solution to completely penetrate and swell and to enlarge the normal intermolecular spaces of the body of material and to diffuse the solution into the enlarged intermolecular spaces provided by the swelling; evaporating the solvent from the solution and to thereby deposit and retain the antimicrobial agent within the intermolecular spaces of the body of elastomer while causing the body of material to return substantially to its original physical shape and condition with substantially normal intermolecular spaces; and rinsing the surfaces of the treated body of material and autoclaving the treated body of material prior to use.