Balloons for medical devices and fabrication thereof
First Claim
1. A balloon for a medical device, the balloon comprising:
- a length of tubing made of a nylon material or of a polyamide material, said length of tubing having been formed into the balloon during a balloon forming procedure including inflating at least a section thereof with a pressurized fluid in order to radially expand said length of tubing to at least double its outer diameter;
said balloon has a non-distended working profile having a predetermined size to which the balloon inflates without significant stretching thereof, and said balloon has an expansion profile having a maximum inflated size to which the balloon stretches without bursting during use, said maximum inflated size being greater than said predetermined size of the non-distended working profile; and
said expansion profile of the balloon has been tailored whereby said balloon has a maximum inflated size selected from a range of maximum inflated sizes that are a function of balloon processing conditions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
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 an inflated, non-distended working profile as well as a stretched inflated profile which is achieved by applying pressure through a dilatation catheter or the like that is in excess of that needed to achieve the inflated, non-distended profile and which is adequate to effect dilatation 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.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A balloon for a medical device, the balloon comprising:
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a length of tubing made of a nylon material or of a polyamide material, said length of tubing having been formed into the balloon during a balloon forming procedure including inflating at least a section thereof with a pressurized fluid in order to radially expand said length of tubing to at least double its outer diameter; said balloon has a non-distended working profile having a predetermined size to which the balloon inflates without significant stretching thereof, and said balloon has an expansion profile having a maximum inflated size to which the balloon stretches without bursting during use, said maximum inflated size being greater than said predetermined size of the non-distended working profile; and said expansion profile of the balloon has been tailored whereby said balloon has a maximum inflated size selected from a range of maximum inflated sizes that are a function of balloon processing conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A medical device balloon, comprising:
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a length of thermoformable polymeric tubing material that had been radially expanded to a balloon having a predetermined balloon diameter; said polymeric tubing balloon being substantially within its glass transition state at human body temperature; said balloon has a collapsed profile at which the outer diameter of the balloon approximates the outer diameter of a component of a medical device, said balloon further having a non-distended, inflated working diameter at which the balloon is inflated to its said predetermined balloon diameter, and said balloon also exhibits a maximum stretched inflation diameter to which the balloon is expandable without bursting under needed in-use conditions, said maximum stretched inflation diameter being in excess of said predetermined balloon diameter; and said tubing material of the balloon has tailorability properties whereby said maximum stretched inflation diameter had been selected during radial expansion to fall within a range of maximum stretched inflation diameter values, and said balloon maximum stretched inflation diameter had been selected from within said range of maximum stretched inflation diameter values. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification