| abstract |
The present invention relates to medical polymers and devices made therefrom, and is based on the discovery that certain carboxylate antimicrobial agents can be releasably incorporated into permeable polymers. The walls of medical devices such as catheters can be fashioned from such polymers. In use, the antimicrobial agent diffuses from the walls to the surface of the device to form an antimicrobial barrier on the surface of the device and a zone of microbial inhibition on tissue surfaces surrounding the device, thereby effectively supplementing the body's own natural microbial barriers where they have been compromised. The bacterial contamination-resistant carboxylate-plus-polymer compositions herein can be used in the manufacture of a wide variety of medical devices, especially urinary catheters, intravenous catheters, wound dressings, and the like. |