Method of manufacturing a porous balloon
AssigneeAdvanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
InventorDaryush Mirzaee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a porous elastic membrane that may be used in a balloon assembly of a balloon catheter is described. In the method, an elastic membrane material is expanded beyond an intended deployment expansion to a hyper-expanded state. Apertures are then formed in the hyper-expanded material. After contraction, the now-porous membrane can be used to form the outer wall of the balloon assembly. An aperture formed in the hyper-expanded membrane will have a smaller diameter than when the balloon is inflated to a smaller deployment expansion in the patient's body.
Claims16
A method for forming a porous membrane for a balloon catheter, the method comprising:
- forming an elastic material into an enclosed form having an interior region;
- expanding said closed form beyond an intended deployment expansion to a hyper-expanded state by infusing a fluid under pressure into said interior region;
- forming a plurality of apertures in said elastic material while in said hyper-expanded state;
- and
- maintaining said pressure in said interior region by continuing to infuse said fluid while said apertures are being formed.
A method for forming a porous balloon, comprising:
- forming a balloon of an elastic material, said balloon having an outer wall with an intended deployment diameter D1;
- inflating said balloon to a diameter D2 by infusing a fluid under pressure into said balloon, wherein D2 is greater than D1;
- and
- forming a plurality of apertures having a diameter d2 in said outer wall while said outer wall is at said diameter D2 by continuing to infuse said fluid under pressure so that said apertures have a smaller diameter d1 while said outer wall is at said intended deployment diameter D1.
A method of making a porous balloon for a catheter assembly for delivery of therapeutic agents to the anatomy of a patient, comprising:
- forming a cylinder having a closed end and an open end from an elastic material;
- applying a flow of fluid under pressure to said open end to expand said cylinder to a hyper-expanded state, wherein said hyper-expanded state is maintained by further application of said flow of fluid under pressure;
- forming apertures in said cylinder while said cylinder is in said hyper-expanded state, wherein said hyper-expanded state is maintained by application of said flow of fluid under pressure;
- removing said closed end from said cylinder to form said porous balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.