Baxter International Inc.

Robert Wojnarowski

Lecon Woo

Michael T K Ling

Ketan N Shah

Yuan-pang Samuel Ding

Ying-Cheng Lo

Patrick R Balteau

Larry A Rosenbaum

Gregg Nebgen

Stanley Westphal

Michael W Scharf

Lillian G Zakarija

Keith M K Anderson

Varsha Kalyankar

Colleen S Cramer

H&eacute;naut J Eric

The present invention provides a multiple layer thermoplastic structure of a (1) skin layer selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, ethylene homopolymers having a density of from about 0.930 g/cc to about 0.960 g/cc, and ethylene homopolymers having a density of from about 0.930 g/cc to about 0.960 g/cc blended with an ethylene and a-olefin copolymers having a density less than about 0.930 g/cc, the skin layer having a thickness of greater than about 3.0 mils; (2) a radio frequency susceptible layer adhered to the skin layer, the radio frequency susceptible layer having a dielectric loss greater than 0.05 at 1-60 MHz and at temperatures of ambient to 250&deg; C., the radio frequency susceptible layer having: (a) a first polyolefin selected from the group consisting of polypropylene and polypropylene copolymers, (b) a second polyolefin selected from the group consisting of ethylene copolymers, ultra-low density polyethylene, polybutene, and butene ethylene copolymers; (c) a radio frequency susceptible polymer selected from the group consisting of (i) ethylene copolymers having 50-85% ethylene content with comonomers selected from a first group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, ester derivatives of acrylic acid with alcohols having 1-10 carbons, ester derivatives of methacrylic acid with alcohols having 1-10 carbons, vinyl acetate, and vinyl alcohol (ii) homopolymers and copolymers containing at least one segment of urethanes, esters, ureas, imides, sulfones, and amides, and (d) a compatibilizing agent of a styrene and hydrocarbon copolymer; wherein the structure when fabricated into a 50 ml container has a water vapor transmission rate of less than 8% by weight after the container has been autoclaved at 121&deg; C. for 20 minutes and stored for 90 days in an environmentally regulated compartment having 15% relative humidity at 40&deg; C.

Multi-layered polymer based moisture barrier structure for medical grade products

A steam sterilizable monolayer medical tubing comprising a blend of a melt strength enhancing agent of a homopolymer or copolymer of polypropylene having free-end long chain branches of propylene units, a melt flow index of greater than 10 and in an amount of 1-10% by weight and a second component selected from the group of (i) a selectively hydrogenated block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene and (ii) a selectively hydrogenated block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene to which has been grafted, an alpha, beta-olenfically unsaturated monocarboxylic or dicarboxylic acid reagent.

Low modulus and autoclavable monolayer medical tubing

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Zion, IL, United States of America

Robert Wojnarowski