Shrinking balloon catheter having nonlinear compliance curve
AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorsLixiao Wang, The T. T. Tran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A balloon catheter, having a non-linear compliance curve, made up of a single layered balloon, that was molded from a polymeric material to have a specific nominal diameter and then shrunk to a diameter that is less than the specific nominal diameter. When the shrunk balloon is expanded it has the characteristics of a compliant balloon until its diameter has been expanded to its original specific nominal diameter after which it follows the non compliant compliance curve that it would have had it not been shrunk.
Claims9
A method of producing a balloon catheter including a single layered balloon made from non compliant material such that the balloon will have a hybrid compliance curve, comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing an elongated tube made of non compliant material into a balloon blow mold;
- (b) constraining a first end of the elongated tube in the balloon blow mold and restricting the flow of fluid through said first end of the tube;
- (c) submerging the balloon blow mold in water at about 95.degree. Centigrade and applying pressure to the interior of the elongated tube sufficient to expand the tube such that the tube expands diametrically to thus form a balloon having a specific diameter;
- (d) removing the balloon blow mold from the water after it has been submerged for about 45 seconds and submerging it in water at room temperature;
- (e) removing the balloon blow mold from the room temperature water after about 10 seconds;
- (f) removing the balloon from the balloon blow mold and using it to assemble a balloon catheter;
- (g) submerging the balloon catheter in water or air at 30.degree.-80.degree. Centigrade for from 1 to 50 minutes to thereby shrink the balloon to a diameter that is less than its specific diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.