Back to results
US 10,881,840 B2Granted
Inflatable imbibed polymer devices
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsAlex R. Hobson, Michael Houghton, David R. King, Joseph E. Korleski, Jr., Brian C. Lentz, Kenneth Newcomb, Peter J. Roeber, John Streeter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a stretchable material suitable for use in an inflatable medical device. The stretchable material has at least one reinforcing polymer layer with a top and bottom side forming a porous matrix which is imbibed with a sealing material to infiltrate and substantially seal spaces of the porous matrix and extend beyond the reinforcing polymer layer to form a surface coating.
Claims12
A medical device comprising:
- an inflatable element including a composite membrane having a reinforcing layer and a polymer layer over the reinforcing layer, the reinforcing layer including a material having a porous microstructure, the polymer layer being formed by adding a polymeric material to the reinforcing layer such that the polymeric material is incorporated into the microstructure of the reinforcing layer and such that the polymeric material forms a coating on the reinforcing layer to define the polymer layer,
- the inflatable element being a balloon that is configured to inflate to a working diameter in response to introduction of a fluid into the balloon at pressures greater than a designated pressure before allowing fluid movement from an interior side to an exterior side of the balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.