Balloon catheter

• US 5,746,745 A
• Filed: 03/01/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Corporation
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Corporation
• Inventors: Sahatjian, Ronald A., Abele, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): STRIGHT, RONALD K
• Application Number:
  US08/609,274
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 604/96, 604/101-103, 604/264, 604/265, 604/280, 606/108, 606/191-198, 128/207.15, 128/749, 128/756, 128/557, 128/759, 128/760, 128/768, 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 623/66
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0047 the inner layer having a higher lubricity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1004 Balloons with folds, e.g. folded or multifolded
• 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 2025/1086 having a special balloon surface topography, e.g. pores, protuberances, spikes or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1088 having special surface characteristics depending on material properties or added substances, e.g. for reducing friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1002 characterised by balloon shape A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1027 Making of balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1029 Production methods of the balloon members, e.g. blow-moulding, extruding, deposition or by wrapping a plurality of layers of balloon material around a mandril
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1038 Wrapping or folding devices for use with balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

An expansible balloon catheter with a stent thereon has at least a first exterior surface with a given coefficient of friction and a second exterior surface with a different coefficient of friction. In a compact form only the first exterior surface is exposed to produce one coefficient of friction during transfer of the collapsed or uninflated balloon and stent to and across a lesion. When inflated, the second surface dominates the first surface and produces a second coefficient of friction.

Claims

1. A system for the delivery of a medical expansible stent to a patient'"'"'s vessel for expansion therein, said system comprising:

(A) a catheter having an inflation lumen therein extending from a proximal end to a distal end,

(B) a medical expansible stent, and

(C) a medical balloon for supporting said stent thereon, said balloon being formed of a thin material positioned at the distal end of said catheter in communication with said inflation lumen whereby said balloon is expansible from a compact state to an expanded state in a patient'"'"'s vessel in response to the injection of an inflation fluid through said inflation lumen, said balloon being formed with a first material portion and in its compact state, essentially exposing the exterior surface of only said first material portion to support said stent, said balloon, in its expanded state, expanding said stent and exposing the exterior surfaces of said first material portion and of the remaining material portion, the exterior surface on said first material portion having an integral surface with a coefficient of friction that is greater than the coefficient of friction of the exterior surface of said remaining material portion of said balloon whereby said balloon in its compact state holds said stent in place thereon and in its expanded state facilitates the removal of said balloon from said stent.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said balloon lies along an axis and the exterior surface of said first material portion is formed with spaced ribs that extend circumferentially about the axis thereby to produce an exterior surface with a greater coefficient of friction than the exterior surface of said remaining material portion.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein said ribbed exterior surface additionally includes spaced ribs that extend parallel to the axis and intersect said circumferentially extending ribs.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of said first material portion comprises an external coating that provides a coefficient of friction that differs from the coefficient of friction for the exterior surface of the remaining material portion.

5. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein the exterior surface of said remaining material portion comprises another coating.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of said first material portion is textured to have a greater coefficient of friction than the exterior surface of said remaining material portion.

7. A stent delivery system for delivering a stent in a compact state to a patient'"'"'s vessel for expansion therein, said stent delivery system including:

(A) a catheter having an inflation lumen therethrough from a proximal end to a distal end,

(B) a stent, and

(C) a medical balloon formed of a thin material on the distal end of said catheter for supporting said stent in its compact state, said medical balloon being expansible from a compact state to an expanded state in response to the injection of an expansion fluid through said inflation lumen, said balloon being divided into first spaced material portions and intermediate remaining material portions, said balloon, in the compact state, exposing essentially only the exterior surfaces of said first material portions for engaging said stent in its compact state and, in the expanded state, expanding said balloon and said stent thereby exposing the exterior surfaces of both said first and remaining material portions, the exterior surfaces on said first material portions having an integral surface with a coefficient of friction that is greater than the coefficient of friction of the exterior surface of said remaining material portions such that said balloon in its compact state holds said stent in place thereon and in its expanded state facilitates the removal of said balloon from said stent.

8. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein said balloon lies along an axis and each of the surfaces on said first material portions is formed with spaced ribs that extend circumferentially about the axis thereby to produce exterior surfaces with a greater coefficient of friction than the exterior surfaces of said remaining material portions.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein each of said ribbed surfaces additionally includes spaced ribs that extend parallel to the axis and intersect said circumferentially extending ribs.

10. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein each of the exterior surfaces of said first material portions comprises an external coating for forming the exterior with a coefficient of friction that is greater than the coefficient of friction of said remaining material portions.

11. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein each of the exterior surfaces at said remaining material portions includes another coating.

12. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein the exterior surfaces of said first material portions is textured to have a greater coefficient of friction than the exterior surfaces of said remaining material portions.