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Balloon catheter

  • US 5,693,014 A
  • Filed: 05/15/1995
  • Issued: 12/02/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a balloon catheter for insertion in a patient'"'"'s vessel including a catheter having a lumen therethrough and an axially extending balloon formed of a layer of material that defines internal and external surfaces and disposed concentrically about one end of the catheter, said balloon communicating with the lumen to enable inflation of said balloon from a compact to an expanded configuration by the introduction of a fluid through the lumen to said balloon, the improvement comprising the division of said external surface into a plurality of first and second external angularly spaced, axially extending surface portions, said balloon, in its compact configuration, being folded to expose essentially only said first external surface portions and, in its expanded configuration, to expose both said first and second external surface portions, each of said first external surface portions being coformed with said balloon to have a first permanent characteristic of sliding friction and each of said second external surface portions being coformed with said balloon to have a second and greater permanent characteristic of sliding friction whereby the first permanent characteristic of sliding friction is determinative of the characteristic of sliding friction of said balloon in its compact configuration and the second permanent characteristic of sliding friction is substantially determinative of the overall frictional characteristic of sliding friction of said balloon in its expanded configuration.

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