Balloon assembly with a torque

A balloon catheter having an expandable member formed according to a method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an inner shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;
• b) providing a balloon member having a distal end and a proximal end, said balloon member having a first unexpanded state, an expanded state and a second unexpanded state;
• c) mounting said balloon member on said inner shaft;
• and
• d) providing an outer shaft;
• e) applying a torque to said inner shaft resulting in application of a torque to said balloon member, said torque being applied so that said inner shaft has a torque when said balloon member is in the first unexpanded state, the balloon also having a torque in the first unexpanded state;
• and
• f) tacking the inner shaft to the outer shaft such that the torque remains in the inner shaft when said balloon member is expanded but releases in the inner shaft when said balloon is in its second unexpanded state, said balloon again has torque in said second unexpanded state.

A method of providing an expandable member of a balloon catheter with improved rewrap, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an inner shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;
• b) providing a balloon member having a distal end and a proximal end and a first unexpanded state, an expanded state and a second unexpanded state;
• c) mounting said balloon member on said inner shaft;
• d) providing an outer shaft;
• e) applying a torque to said inner shaft resulting in application of a torque to said balloon member, said torque being applied so that said inner shaft has a torque when said balloon member is in the first unexpanded state, said balloon member also having a torque in said first unexpanded state;
• and
• f) tacking the inner shaft to the outer shaft such that the torque remains in the inner shaft when the balloon is expanded and releases when said balloon is in its second unexpanded state, the torque in the balloon releasing when the balloon is expanded and the balloon again having a torque in said second unexpanded state.