Dilatation device of uniform outer diameter

Abstract

A dilatation device comprising a polymer tube having an essentially uniform outer diameter, with an expandable portion and a less expandable portion, said expandable portion having a wall thickness different than that of said less expandable portion. Said device is formed by providing a tube with an original outer diameter, length and wall thickness; heating the tube; applying pressure to the interior of the tube to expand a portion of said tube to form a balloon having a desired shape and size; releasing the interior pressure and collapsing said balloon; and, simultaneously allowing said portion in which the balloon was formed to radially shrink while longitudinally restraining said portion thereby manipulating the original diameter and length of said tube, said heated and shrunk portion thereby forming an expandable portion in said tube.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.