Coated sleeve for wrapping dilatation catheter balloons

Abstract

A hollow, cylindrical protector for a dilatation catheter balloon. The disclosed protector is made from silicone tubing having a coating on at least an inner surface thereof for enhancing the lubricity of the protector and thus facilitating easy installation of the protector over a dilatation catheter's balloon. In this way, the risk of damage to the balloon resulting from protector installation is reduced. In the disclosed embodiment, the inner surface of a silicone balloon protector is coated via vacuum deposition or the like with parylene. The parylene-coated protector is then slid over a deflated and wrapped dilatation catheter balloon. The catheter is then subjected to elevated temperatures for the purposes of heat-setting. The elevated temperatures cause the silicone protector to be reduced in diameter, further reducing the balloon's profile. Also, the compression and heating causes the balloon material to heat-set, increasing the reliability of symmetrical deflation and re-wrap of the balloon.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.