Balloon wrapping apparatus and balloon wrapping method

A balloon wrapping apparatus for wrapping a balloon of a balloon catheter arranged with the balloon at a distal portion of an elongated shaft, the elongated shaft extending in one direction from the balloon, the balloon wrapping apparatus comprising:

• a pleating section having a plurality of blades aligned with spaces between the plurality of blades in a circumferential direction, and configured to form the balloon with wing shapes projecting in radial directions by rotating the blades of the pleating section;
• a folding section having a plurality of blades aligned in a circumferential direction, and configured to fold the wing shapes formed in the balloon in the circumferential direction by rotating the blades of the folding section, each of the pleating section and the folding section being disposed on a base and oriented in a different direction by a predetermined angle from each other;
• a pivotable support base configured to support a part of an elongated shaft which part is on a proximal side of the balloon, the support base having a holding portion configured to maintain a position of the elongated shaft;
• a grasping section provided in the pleating section and in the folding section, the grasping section configured to grasp a part of the balloon catheter, which part is on a distal side of the balloon;
• and
• a pulling section provided in the pleating section and in the folding section, the pulling section configured to apply a pulling force to the balloon catheter by moving the grasping section and the holding portion away from each other, and wherein the pulling section is moved in a distal direction relative to the distal side of the balloon.

A balloon wrapping method for wrapping a balloon of a balloon catheter provided with the balloon at a distal portion of an elongated shaft, the balloon wrapping method comprising:

• supporting a part of the elongated shaft which part is on a proximal side of the balloon on a support base, the elongated shaft extending in one direction from the balloon, the support base having a holding portion configured to maintain a position of the elongated shaft;
• inserting the balloon catheter into a pleating section;
• grasping a part of the balloon catheter which part is on a distal side of the balloon with a grasping section in the pleating section;
• forming the balloon with wing shapes projecting in radial directions in the pleating section;
• pivoting the support base to a folding section;
• inserting the balloon catheter into the folding section;
• grasping the part of the balloon catheter which part is on the distal side of the balloon with a grasping section in the folding section;
• and
• folding the wing shapes formed in the balloon along a circumferential direction in the folding section, wherein in at least one of the forming the wing shapes and the folding the wing shapes along the circumferential direction, the part of the balloon catheter which part is on the distal side of the balloon is grasped and a pulling force is applied to the balloon catheter in a state in which the position of the elongated shaft is maintained with a pulling section configured to move the grasping section and the holding portion away from each other and by moving the pulling section in a distal direction relative to the distal side of the balloon.