| abstract |
(57) [Summary] A compound having local anesthetic and plasticizing properties is dissolved in a polymeric material. Disclosed are extrusion, coextrusion, and molding techniques for forming anesthesia tubes (30), drainage tubes (16), and other medical devices with materials that include local anesthetics. A hydrophobic anesthetic compound such as the base form of lidocaine is used, which is more soluble in the polymeric wall material of the tube than in water. In the case, both prilocaine and dibucaine can be used. A water-soluble form of a local anesthetic, obtained by reacting an anesthetic base dissolved in the polymer, is added to the exposed surface, for example, to allow a rapid onset of anesthesia. A balloon (21), a membrane, and an extruded cross section are shown. Barriers and metering layers control the direction and speed of the anesthetic. Drug delivery systems that include lidocaine dissolved in a resin such as PVC have also been found to be useful in antiarrhythmic and antiseizure drug therapies. |