title: Thermoplastic polyurethane--the material used for the Erlanger silver catheter.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaften, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hentschel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Münstedt
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D011140:Polyurethanes; D012834:Silver
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011140:Polyurethanes; D012834:Silver