Method for manufacturing balloons for medical devices
First Claim
1. A process for fabricating medical device balloons, the process comprising:
- feeding an elongated tubularly shaped parison into and through a molding apparatus including an upstream chamber and a downstream blow molding chamber until one portion of the parison is in the upstream chamber and another portion of the parison is in the downstream blow molding chamber;
axially stretching to longitudinally elongate at least the portion of the parison within the upstream chamber to provide an axially elongated parison length;
radially expanding the axially elongated parison length within the upstream chamber by infusing pressurized fluid thereinto to provide a radially expanded parison length;
axially stretching at least the portion of the radially expanded parison length until its diameter is decreased while moving the radially expanded parison length into the downstream chamber; and
blow molding the radially expanded and axially stretched parison length by infusing pressurized fluid thereinto while same is within the downstream blow molding chamber to provide a molded parison useful as a medical device balloon.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for forming dilatation balloons and catheters including same are provided. The balloons are fabricated of a material such as a nylon or a polyamide material, and they have been inflated, non-distended working profile as well as a stretched inflated profile which is achieved by applying pressure through a dilation catheter or the like that is in excess of that needed to achieve the inflated, non-distended profile and which is adequate to effect dilation or the like up to a maximum pre-bursting pressure application. The maximum pre-bursting size of the balloon can be tailored depending upon the needs of the particular balloon within a wide range of possible maximum pre-bursting sizes. The apparatus and methods facilitate fabrication of the balloons which are subjected to longitudinal elongation and radial expansion.
-
Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A process for fabricating medical device balloons, the process comprising:
-
feeding an elongated tubularly shaped parison into and through a molding apparatus including an upstream chamber and a downstream blow molding chamber until one portion of the parison is in the upstream chamber and another portion of the parison is in the downstream blow molding chamber; axially stretching to longitudinally elongate at least the portion of the parison within the upstream chamber to provide an axially elongated parison length; radially expanding the axially elongated parison length within the upstream chamber by infusing pressurized fluid thereinto to provide a radially expanded parison length; axially stretching at least the portion of the radially expanded parison length until its diameter is decreased while moving the radially expanded parison length into the downstream chamber; and blow molding the radially expanded and axially stretched parison length by infusing pressurized fluid thereinto while same is within the downstream blow molding chamber to provide a molded parison useful as a medical device balloon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A process for fabricating medical device balloons, the process comprising:
-
feeding an elongated tubularly shaped parison through a molding apparatus including a free-blow chamber and a downstream blow molding chamber; longitudinally stretching the parison within the free-blow chamber to provide an axially stretched parison length; radially expanding the axially stretched parison length by infusing pressurized fluid thereinto while same is within the free-blow chamber to provide a radially expanded parison length; axially stretching the radially expanded parison length; blow molding the radially expanded and axially stretched parison length, said blow molding step including raising the temperature of the radially expanded and axially stretched parison within the downstream blow molding chamber and infusing the pressurized fluid into a portion of the elongated parison that is upstream of the free-blow chamber whereby the pressurized fluid flows through the parison within the free-blow chamber and then into the radially expanded and axially stretched parison within the downstream blow molding chamber; closing off the parison between the free-blow chamber and the blow molding chamber to prevent passage of pressurized fluid therebetween, and radially expanding the axially stretched parison at an elevated temperature within the free-blow chamber to form another radially expanded parison length; and axially stretching said another radially expanded parison length, following by blow molding same within the blow molding chamber at an elevated temperature to provide a molded parison useful as a medical device balloon. - View Dependent Claims (11)
-
Specification