1. A method for the preparation of a hydroperoxide functionalized rubber compound comprising:
(a) providing a reactor containing a catalyst bed comprising a light-induced photoreductant component supported on a particulate substrate forming a permeable catalyst bed;
(b) introducing into said reactor a dispersion of an unsaturated rubber component in a carrier solvent and passing said dispersion through said catalyst bed;
(c) concomitantly with subparagraph (b), passing a gaseous oxidizing agent into said reactor and flowing said oxidizing agent through said catalyst bed and into contact with said rubber-containing dispersion;
(d) irradiating said catalyst bed containing said dispersion and said oxidant with electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet or visible light range at an intensity sufficient to convert triplet oxygen in the oxygenated rubber component to singlet oxygen and recovering said oxygenated rubber compound from said reactor; and
(e) passing the dispersion of rubber-containing carrier and the gaseous oxidizing agent into a second reactor connected in parallel with said first reactor and containing a second catalyst bed comprising a light-induced photoreactant supported on a particulate substrate material forming a second permeable catalyst bed and irradiating said catalyst bed containing said dispersion and said oxidizing agent with electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet or visible light range at an intensity sufficient to convert triplet oxygen in the oxygenated rubber component to singlet oxygen and recovering said oxygenated rubber compound from said second reactor and combining said compound with the compound recovered from said first reactor.
2. A method for the preparation of a hydroperoxide functionalized rubber compound comprising:
(a) providing a reactor containing a catalyst bed comprising a light-induced photoreductant component supported on a particulate substrate forming a permeable catalyst bed;
(b) introducing into said reactor a dispersion of an unsaturated rubber component in a carrier solvent and passing said dispersion through said catalyst bed;
(c) concomitantly with subparagraph (b), passing a gaseous oxidizing agent into said reactor and flowing said oxidizing agent through said catalyst bed and into contact with said rubber-containing dispersion;
(d) irradiating said catalyst bed containing said dispersion and said oxidant with electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet or visible light range at an intensity sufficient to convert triplet oxygen in the oxygenated rubber component to singlet oxygen and recovering said oxygenated rubber compound from said reactor;
(e) wherein said particulate substrate comprises an inorganic particulate material having the predominant particle size within the range of 0.2-0.8 cm; and
(f) wherein said inorganic support is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina and mixtures thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said inorganic support comprises alumina having an average particle size within the range of 0.3-0.7 cm.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said inorganic support comprises silica having an average particle size within the range of 0.3-0.7 cm.
5. A method for the preparation of a hydroperoxide functionalized rubber compound comprising:
(a) providing a reactor containing a catalyst bed comprising a light-induced photoreductant component supported on a particulate substrate forming a permeable catalyst bed;
(b) introducing into said reactor a dispersion of an unsaturated rubber component in a carrier solvent and passing said dispersion through said catalyst bed;
(c) concomitantly with subparagraph (b), passing a gaseous oxidizing agent into said reactor and flowing said oxidizing agent through said catalyst bed and into contact with said rubber-containing dispersion; and
(d) irradiating said catalyst bed containing said dispersion and said oxidant with electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet or visible light range at an intensity sufficient to convert triplet oxygen in the oxygenated rubber component to singlet oxygen and recovering said oxygenated rubber compound from said reactor, wherein said reactor comprises an outer shell and an internal well structure within which said source of illumination is located, wherein said well structure and said shell define an annulus surrounding said source of illumination in which said catalyst bed is located.
6. A method for the preparation of a hydroperoxide functionalized rubber compound comprising:
(a) providing a reactor containing a catalyst bed comprising a light-induced photoreductant component supported on a particulate substrate forming a permeable catalyst bed;
(b) introducing into said reactor a dispersion of an unsaturated rubber component in a carrier solvent and passing said dispersion through said catalyst bed;
(c) concomitantly with subparagraph (b), passing a gaseous oxidizing agent into said reactor and flowing said oxidizing agent through said catalyst bed and into contact with said rubber-containing dispersion; and
(d) irradiating said catalyst bed containing said dispersion and said oxidant with electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet or visible light range at an intensity sufficient to convert triplet oxygen in the oxygenated rubber component to singlet oxygen and recovering said oxygenated rubber compound from said reactor, wherein said reactor comprises an outer shell and an internal well structure within which said source of illumination is located, wherein said well structure and said shell define an annulus surrounding said source of illumination in which said catalyst bed is located.
7. The method of claim 6 within which said annulus surrounding said internal illumination source has a thickness of no more than 20 cm.
8. A method for the preparation of a hydroperoxide functionalized rubber compound comprising:
(a) providing a plurality of reactors each containing a catalyst bed comprising a light-induced photoreductant component supported on a particulate substrate forming a permeable catalyst bed;
(b) introducing into said reactors a dispersion of an unsaturated rubber component in a carrier solvent and passing said dispersion through the catalyst beds of said reactors;
(c) concomitantly with subparagraph (b), passing a gaseous oxidizing agent into said reactors and flowing said oxidizing agent through said catalyst beds and into contact with said rubber-containing dispersion with said catalyst beds; and
(d) irradiating said catalyst beds containing said dispersion and said oxidizing agent with electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet or visible light range at an intensity sufficient to convert triplet oxygen in the oxygenated rubber component to singlet oxygen and recovering said oxygenated rubber component from said reactor, wherein said reactors are spaced laterally from one another to provide for an array of said reactors with parallel flow of said dispersion and said gaseous oxidizing agent through said catalyst beds and wherein said catalyst beds are irradiated with a source of electromagnetic radiation located internally of said array.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A catheter comprising:
a sleeve having a first end and a second end; and
a plurality of reinforcing rings embedded in the sleeve at said first end.
2. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are disposed at regular intervals.
3. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein there are at least four reinforcing rings.
4. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein there are at least twenty reinforcing rings.
5. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is made of a silicone.
6. The catheter according to claim 5, wherein the silicone, at least in the area of the reinforcing rings, is at least partially transparent.
7. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are made of titanium.
8. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are made of stainless steel.
9. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are made of a rigid plastic material.
10. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are discreet from one another.
11. The catheter according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are discreet from one another.
12. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are disposed at irregular intervals.
13. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are interconnected as a one-piece assembly.
14. A connector assembly comprising:
a sleeve having a first end and a second end;
a plurality of reinforcing rings embedded in the sleeve at said first end;
a connector having a barbed end, said first end of said sleeve is connected to said barbed end.
15. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are disposed at regular intervals.
16. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein there are at least four reinforcing rings.
17. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein there are at least twenty reinforcing rings.
18. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein the sleeve is made of a silicone.
19. The connector assembly according to claim 1S, wherein the silicone, at least in the area of the reinforcing rings, is at least partially transparent.
20. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are made of titanium.
21. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are made of stainless steel.
22. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are made of a rigid plastic material.
23. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are discreet from one another.
24. The connector assembly according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are discreet from one another.
25. The catheter according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are disposed at irregular intervals.
26. The catheter according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of reinforcing rings are interconnected as a one-piece assembly.
27. A method of connecting a catheter to a connector, wherein said catheter is comprised of a sleeve having a first end and a second end, and a plurality of reinforcing rings are embedded in the sleeve at the first end, the connector having a barbed end, said method comprising the step of:
placing the first end of the sleeve over the barbed end of the connector to fluidly connect the catheter to the connector.
28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the placing step is sufficient to place at least two reinforcing rings passed the apex of the barb.
29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said method further comprising the step of after the placing step, verifying that at least two reinforcing rings passed the apex of the barb.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the sleeve, at least in the area of the reinforcing rings, is at least partially transparent, said method further comprising the step of, after the placing step, visually verifying that at least two reinforcing rings passed the apex of the barb.
31. A method of connecting a ventricular catheter to a first connector on a shunt housing and connecting a drainage catheter to a second connector on the shunt housing, wherein said ventricular catheter is comprised of a sleeve having a first end and a second end, and a plurality of reinforcing rings are embedded in the sleeve at the first end of the ventricular catheter, said drainage catheter is comprised of a sleeve having a first end and a second end, and a plurality of reinforcing rings are embedded in the sleeve at the first end of the drainage catheter, the first and second connector each having a barbed end, said method comprising the step of:
placing the first end of the sleeve of the ventricular catheter over the barbed end of the first connector to fluidly connect the ventricular catheter to the shunt housing;
placing the first end of the sleeve of the drainage catheter over the barbed end of the second connector to fluidly connect the drainage catheter to the shunt housing.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein both of the placing steps are sufficient to place at least two reinforcing rings passed the apex of the barb.
33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said method further comprising the step of after the placing steps, verifying that at least two reinforcing rings passed the apex of the barb.
34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the sleeve of both the ventricular catheter and the drainage catheter, at least in the area of the reinforcing rings, is at least partially transparent, said method further comprising the step of, after the pushing steps, visually verifying that at least two reinforcing rings passed the apex of the barb.
35. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of placing the ventricular catheter within the ventricals of the brain.
36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising the step of, before the placing the ventricular catheter step, cutting the ventricular catheter between two reinforcing rings.
37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the cutting step occurs before the step of placing the first end of the sleeve of the ventricular catheter over the barbed end of the first connector.
38. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the catheter has an antimicrobial agent embedded therein.
39. The method according to claim 14, wherein the catheter has an antimicrobial agent embedded therein.