Controllable inflation profile balloon cover methods
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsCarey V. Campbell, James L. Goepfrich, Brandon C. Hedberg, Benjamin M. Trapp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of inflating a catheter balloon may include providing a balloon assembly operable to provide a balloon diameter vs. balloon pressure profile generally depicting a balloon inflation sequence providing at least one intermediate inflated diameter and a final inflated diameter of a balloon such that the balloon attains the at least one intermediate diameter at a predetermined pressure, and attains the final diameter at a final predetermined pressure that is lower than a predetermined pressure of a last intermediate pressure.
Claims19
A catheter balloon assembly comprising:
- an inflatable balloon having a balloon body portion defining a balloon working length and an un-inflated diameter and a working diameter;
- and
- a frangible cover covering at least a portion of the balloon body portion and being operable such that the inflatable balloon having a balloon diameter vs. balloon pressure profile in which a diameter of the inflatable balloon is controllable according to an applied inflation pressure, the balloon diameter vs. balloon pressure profile including a beginning diameter at an initial applied inflation pressure and a working diameter at a final predetermined pressure, wherein a first intermediate inflated diameter and the working diameter of a balloon are defined, and wherein the inflatable balloon attains the first intermediate inflated diameter at a first predetermined pressure, and attains the working diameter at the final predetermined pressure that is lower than the first predetermined pressure, and the frangible cover being operable to rupture under an internal pressure before the rupture of the balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.