US 12,076,513 B2 · Methods of fabricating a heart valve delivery catheter

Abstract

Inflatable devices are disclosed including a surface which has a network of polymer chains and is configured to be inflatable into a therapeutically or diagnostically useful shape, and at least one ultrashort laser pulse-formed modification in the surface. The network can, for example, include a network morphology that is substantially unchanged by modification with the ultrashort pulse laser. Ultrashort laser pulses can be laser pulses equal to or less than 1000 picoseconds in duration. Advantageously, the etching process uses a relatively low-heat laser to avoid significant heating of surrounding polymers while modifying the surface (and other structures) of the device. The process is configured so that the polymer chain morphology adjacent the modification is substantially unaffected by the low-heat laser. The resulting inflatable device has customized surface features while still retaining substantially homogenous polymer network morphology. This preserves the elasticity, especially the surface elasticity, of the inflatable device.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of fabricating a heart valve delivery catheter, comprising:

obtaining a polymer tube defined by a wall along a longitudinal axis having an inner surface and an outer surface, the polymer comprising a network of polymer chains with a homogenous network morphology;
blow molding the polymer tube into a hollow balloon shape having a central body region, a pair of leg regions on opposite ends of the balloon shape that are radially smaller than the central body region and define axial openings therethrough, and a pair of cone regions extending between the central body region and the leg regions;
applying low heat laser pulses to an outer surface of the cone regions to ablate material and form a first laser-formed modification in the outer surface of the cone regions, the low heat laser pulses being configured so as to leave the polymer network morphology surrounding the laser-formed modification substantially unchanged, and wherein the pulses are less than 1000 picoseconds in duration and have a maximum pulse energy of 200 micro-joules;
wherein the blow molded and laser-modified polymer tube forms a balloon,
bonding the leg regions of the balloon to a catheter;
folding the balloon;
and
crimping a heart valve around the central body region of the folded balloon.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods of fabricating a heart valve delivery catheter

Life of this patent

Methods of fabricating a heart valve delivery catheter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19