Low-frictional catheter materials by photo-induced graft polymerization.

To develop low-frictional catheters, photo-induced graft polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) was performed on to films and tubes of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Their surfaces became very slippery, when the materials were preirradiated with UV from a low-pressure mercury lamp, followed by graft polymerization with DMAA in the presence of small amount of riboflavin without degassing. Although no significant difference was observed in surface lubrication between the EVA film and the tube, the latter required an additional procedure for the graft polymerization, that is, removal of air trapped inside the tube. The surfaces of EVA and PVC tubes grafted with DMAA were found to exhibit frictional forces around 0.5 N against a PVC and a silicone surface under wet conditions, whereas the frictional force of the ungrafted tubes against the same substrates was 10 and 20 N for PVC and EVA, respectively.