Medical balloon having a resistance to circumferential tearing and method of producing the balloon
AssigneeCook Incorporated
InventorScott E. Boatman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical balloon having a resistance to circumferential tearing comprises a substantially cylindrical portion disposed between first and second tapered portions that have a decreasing cross-sectional area along a length thereof away from the cylindrical portion. The substantially cylindrical portion includes first and second end portions and a midsection disposed therebetween. The midsection includes a first region having a first resistance to tearing and a second region having a second lower resistance to tearing, where the second region extends about only a portion of the circumference of the cylindrical portion and does not extend beyond the midsection.
Claims20
A medical balloon having a resistance to circumferential tearing, the medical balloon comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical portion disposed between first and second tapered portions, the first and second tapered portions having a decreasing cross-sectional area along a length thereof away from the cylindrical portion, the substantially cylindrical portion comprising first and second end portions and a midsection disposed therebetween, the midsection comprising a first region having a first resistance to tearing and at least one second region having a second resistance to tearing, the second resistance to tearing being lower than the first resistance to tearing and lower than a resistance to tearing of the first and second end portions, wherein the second region extends about only a portion of a circumference of the substantially cylindrical portion and does not extend beyond the midsection.
A medical balloon having a resistance to circumferential tearing, the medical balloon comprising a midsection disposed equidistant between first and second ends of the medical balloon and spanning no more than about 30% of a total length between the first and second ends, the midsection comprising a weakened localized region not extending beyond the midsection.
A method for fabricating a medical balloon having a resistance to circumferential tearing, the method comprising:
- providing a medical balloon comprising a substantially cylindrical portion having first and second end portions and a midsection disposed therebetween;
- weakening a localized region of the midsection, the localized region extending about only a portion of a circumference of the cylindrical portion and not extending beyond the midsection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.