Cutting or Scoring Balloon, System and Method of Making a Cutting or Scoring Balloon

• US 20110160756A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated), William Cook Europe ApS (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lysgaard, Thomas, Elgaard, Per Erik, Aggerholm, Steen
• Granted Patent: US 9,339,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320725 with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements A61B17/32075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22061 for spreading elements apart
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1031 Surface processing of balloon members, e.g. coating or deposition; Mounting additional parts onto the balloon member's surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1027 Making of balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/007 Forming single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines, weak spots by moulding B29C37/0057; folding lines B29C53/06; in metal articles B21D17/00; by cutting B26D3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/021 of profiled articles, e.g. hollow or tubular articles, beams

Abstract

A cutting or scoring balloon (10) of elongate shape and provided at its periphery with a plurality of scoring elements (12) extending longitudinally along the balloon. The scoring elements (12) are formed integrally with the balloon wall (14) and in the preferred embodiment are of the same material. A raw material form (20) for producing the balloon (10) is provided with a series of zones (26, 28) of greater thickness compared to the remainder of the balloon wall (24). These zones (26, 28) are located adjacent respective ribs (22) and extend longitudinally along the balloon wall for substantially the same distance as the ribs (22). The zones (26, 28) ensure that these will expand (stretch) preferentially compared to the remainder of the raw material form (20) and in particular the ribs (22), with the effect that the ribs (22) will not tend to be stretched. Apparatus for forming a balloon (10), includes a chamber (50) for holding the raw material form (20, 30) on fittings (52). A pumping and control unit (56) is provided for feeding pressurized air to the interior of the chamber. Within the casing (50) there is provided a series of scoring element supports (60) which are able to move reciprocably relative to the casing (50) and arranged to move with the raw material form (20, 30) a s this expands under the inflation pressure. The scoring element supports (60) are provided with an elongate body portion (62) having a longitudinally extending channel (64) therein having an opening wide enough to accommodate the apex of a rib (22, 32) of the raw material form (20, 30). Each support (60) is always trained onto the raw material form (20, 30) such that the apices of the ribs (22, 32) are always held within the channels (64).

Claims