Angioplasty balloon with thin-walled taper and method of making the same
AssigneeAdvanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
InventorJeong S. Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An angioplasty balloon and method of manufacture are provided. The balloon has a working length and a taper each having a substantially equivalent thickness. This allows the balloon to be steered easily through vasculature to the site of a stenosis prior to inflation during an angioplasty procedure. The taper thickness in particular is achieved through use of a specially designed multi-tubular slug which is molded to form the angioplasty balloon of the present invention.
Claims11
A method of forming an angioplasty,balloon catheter from a slug, said method comprising:
- surrounding an inner tube with a shortened outer tube to form said slug;
- placing said slug within a mold, said mold defining a desired angioplasty balloon profile;
- and
- molding said slug with said mold to form an angioplasty balloon catheter having a working length extending into a taper which further extends into a shaft, wherein said working length is formed from said shortened outer tube, and wherein at least a portion of said taper is formed from said inner tube.
A method of forming an angioplasty balloon catheter from a slug, said method comprising:
- surrounding an inner tube with a shortened outer tube to form said slug;
- placing said slug within a mold, said mold defining a desired angioplasty balloon profile;
- molding said slug with said mold to form an angioplasty balloon catheter having a working length extending into a taper which further extends into a shaft;
- and
- extruding said inner tube and said shortened outer tube in a manner giving randomized molecular alignment to any polymer comprising said inner tube and said shortened outer tube prior to said surrounding.
A method of forming an angioplasty balloon catheter from a slug, said method comprising:
- surrounding an inner tube with a shortened outer tube to form said slug;
- placing said slug within a mold, said mold defining a desired angioplasty balloon profile;
- molding said slug with said mold to form an angioplasty balloon catheter having a working length extending into a taper which further extends into a shaft;
- and
- pre-necking an outer end of said shortened outer tube prior to said molding.
A method of forming an angioplasty balloon catheter from a slug, said method comprising:
- surrounding an inner tube with a shortened outer tube to form said slug;
- placing said slug within a mold, said mold defining a desired angioplasty balloon profile;
- molding said slug with said mold to form an angioplasty balloon catheter having a working length extending into a taper which further extends into a shaft, wherein said shortened outer tube further comprises an outer end, said molding transforming said shortened outer tube into said working length and said molding creating said taper from said outer end and said inner tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.