Balloon and manufacture thereof
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorStanley B. Levy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Polymeric balloon having a burst pressure of at least 200 psi (1.4 MPa) and a radial expansion beyond nominal inflated diameter of less than 5% at 200 psi (1.4 MPa).
Claims18
[1. High molecular weight, biaxially oriented, flexible polymeric balloon having a burst pressure of at least 200 psi (1.4 MPa) and a radial expansion of less than 5% at 200 psi (1.4 MPa).]
[2. Balloon of claim 1 having a burst pressure of at least 400 psi (2.8 MPa) and a radial expansion of less than 10% at 400 psi (2.8 MPa).]
[3. Balloon of claim 1 having a burst pressure of at least 500 psi (3.4 MPa)
- and a radial expansion of less than 10% at 500 psi (3.4 MPa).]
[4. Balloon of claim 3 wherein the polymer is a polyethylene terephthalate homopolyester having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.8 to 1.1.]
[5. Process for forming a high molecular weight, biaxially oriented, flexible polymeric balloon, the process comprising, at a temperature within the range extending from the second order transition temperature to the first order transition temperature, drawing a polymeric tubing having a finite length (L.sub.1) and an internal diameter (ID) which is about one-half the outer diameter (OD) to a length (L.sub.2) which is 3 to 6 L.sub.1, and thereafter expanding the drawn tubing of internal diameter ID.sub.1 and outer diameter OD.sub.1 by expanding means to an internal diameter (ID.sub.2) which is 6 to 8 ID and an outer diameter (OD.sub.2) which is about 3 to 4 OD, followed by cooling the drawn and expanded tubing to less than its second order transition temperature, said balloon thus formed having a burst pressure of at least 200 psi (1.4 MPa) and a radial expansion beyond nominal inflated diameter of less than 5% at 200 psi (1.4 MPa).]
[6. Process of claim 5 wherein the expanding means is pressurized fluid applied to the inside of the tubing.]
[7. Process of claim 6 wherein the pressurized fluid is a pressurized gas.]
[8. Process of claim 5 wherein the tubing is formed by extrusion of polyethylene terephthalate homopolyester resin having an intrinsic viscosity of 1.0 to 1.3 and a density of 1.35 to 1.45 and the balloon has a burst pressure of at least 400 psi (2.8 MPa).]
[9. Process of claim 8 wherein the temperature is in the range 84.degree.-99.degree. C.]
[10. Process of claim 8 wherein the temperature is in the range 86.degree.-96.degree. C.]
[11. Process of claim 8 wherein the tubing drawing temperature is different from the tubing expanding temperature.]
[12. Dilatation balloon catheter comprising the balloon of claim 1.]
High molecular weight, biaxially oriented, flexible polymeric balloon having a wall tensile strength of at least 31,714 psi (218.86
- MPa).
High molecular weight, biaxially oriented, flexible polyethylene terephthalate dilatation catheter balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.