Summary
The Erlanger silver catheter consists of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU). To achieve an antimicrobial effect, silver particles at a concentration of 0.5–1.0% by weight are incorporated into the basic material. The good mechanical properties were shown to remain present after the incorporation of the silver. The characteristic mechanical data of blends made of a soft and a hard TPU type approximated closely to a linear relationship with the ratio of the mixture. The buckling stability of catheters as a function of their cross section could be described by Euler's formula. This enables the buckling stability to be calculated when material constants and catheter geometry are known.
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Hentschel, T., Münstedt, H. Thermoplastic polyurethane—The material used for the erlanger silver catheter. Infection 27 (Suppl 1), S43–S45 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02561617
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02561617