Sequential biaxial strain of semi-crystalline tubes
AssigneeCook Medical Technologies LLC
InventorsKasper Klausen, Alexandra Løvdal
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a processing method for a polymer material to create a medical device with improved mechanical properties. This method allows better tailoring of the material's mechanical properties, hence a device to withstand greater structural loads in vivo. The method comprises providing an extruded polymer tube having an initial diameter and an initial length along a longitudinal direction, and longitudinally, bi-directionally straining the extruded polymer tube in a mold from the initial length to an expanded or extended length. The mold comprises a plurality of stationary heating elements. After longitudinally straining the tube, it is radially expanding in the mold from the initial diameter to an expanded diameter.
Claims15
A method of processing a polymer, the method comprising:
- heating an extruded polymer tube to a first temperature in a mold comprising a plurality of stationary heating elements, the first temperature being between a glass transition temperature and a cold crystallinity temperature of the polymer, the extruded polymer tube having an initial diameter, an initial length, and a lumen therethrough along a longitudinal direction, and longitudinally straining the extruded polymer tube from the initial length to an extended length;
- and
- after the step of longitudinally straining an extruded polymer tube, radially expanding the extruded polymer tube in the mold wherein the extruded polymer tube is expanded from the initial diameter to an expanded diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.