Implantable catheter made of high cold flow material

Claim 1

An implantable catheter having two ends of about 5 mm in length, comprising: an inner layer made of a medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, a middle layer coaxially arranged thereon, made of a second medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, further containing a radiopaque material, and an outer layer coaxially arranged thereon, made of a third medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, said outer layer being roughened at said ends of said implantable catheter, wherein each of said synthetic materials has a cold flow at a temperature of from 34° C. to 40° C. under a weight load of 40 g/0.2 mm 2 for 63 days which results in an increase in the initial length of at least 50% in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the implantable catheter undergoes cold flow to increase in length in the implanted state in line with the growth of a body in which it is implanted, and wherein said synthetic materials are neither hydrolyzable nor fermentatively or enzymatically degradable.

Claim 15

A method of transferring body fluid from a first body cavity to a second body cavity, comprising implanting a catheter having two ends of about 5 mm in length, said catheter comprising: an inner layer made of a medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, a middle layer coaxially arranged thereon, made of a second medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, further containing a radiopaque material, and an outer layer coaxially arranged thereon, made of a third medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, said outer layer being roughened at said ends of said implantable catheter, wherein each of said synthetic materials has a cold flow at a temperature of from 34° C. to 40° C. under a weight load of 40 g/0.2 mm 2 for 63 days which results in an increase in the initial length of at least 50% in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the implantable catheter undergoes cold flow to increase in length in the implanted state in line with the growth of a body in which it is implanted, and wherein said synthetic materials are neither hydrolyzable nor fermentatively or enzymatically degradable; and draining said body fluid from said first body cavity to said second body cavity.

Claim 16

A method of transferring body fluid from a first body cavity to a second body cavity, comprising implanting a catheter having two ends of about 5 mm in length, said catheter comprising: an inner layer made of a medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, a middle layer coaxially arranged thereon, made of a second medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, further containing a radiopaque material, and an outer layer coaxially arranged thereon, made of a third medically tolerated, elastic, plastically deformable synthetic material, said outer layer being roughened at said ends of said implantable catheter, wherein each of said synthetic materials has a cold flow at a temperature of from 34° C. to 40° C. under a weight load of 40 g/0.2 mm 2 for 63 days which results in an increase in the initial length of at least 50% in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the implantable catheter undergoes cold flow to increase in length in the implanted state in line with the growth of a body in which it is implanted, and wherein said synthetic materials are neither hydrolyzable nor fermentatively or enzymatically degradable; and draining said body fluid from said first body cavity to said second body cavity.