Method for manufacturing a high strength angioplasty balloon
First Claim
1. A method for producing an oriented polymeric material with reduced pin-hole defects which comprises the following steps in the order named:
- heating said material to a process temperature, said process temperature being between a first temperature and a second temperature;
applying a first force to said material to stretch said material into an overstretch configuration while said material is at said process temperature;
cooling said material to room temperature while maintaining said material in said overstretch configuration;
relaxing said force on said material;
heating said material to a cure temperature, said cure temperature being seventy to ninety percent (70%-90%) of said process temperature;
maintaining said material at said cure temperature for a curing period;
cooling said material to room temperature;
heating said material to a sizing temperature;
applying a second force thereto to stretch said material into a desired configuration;
cooling said material to room temperature while maintaining said material in said desired configuration; and
relaxing said second force on said material.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of manufacturing polymeric material having enhanced structural integrity includes heating the material to a temperature between the material'"'"'s glass transition temperature and the material'"'"'s melt temperature. Once heated, the material is highly overstretched in a first direction and moderately overstretched in a second direction. The material is then held in the overstretched condition while it is allowed to cool to room temperature. Cooling is followed by reheating to a curing temperature. After curing for a predetermined period, the material is again allowed to cool. The completed material has high polymeric orientation in the first direction and moderate polymeric orientation in the second direction. Therefore, the material is characterized by enhanced structural integrity and absence of pinhole defects common to highly oriented polymeric materials.
91 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for producing an oriented polymeric material with reduced pin-hole defects which comprises the following steps in the order named:
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heating said material to a process temperature, said process temperature being between a first temperature and a second temperature; applying a first force to said material to stretch said material into an overstretch configuration while said material is at said process temperature; cooling said material to room temperature while maintaining said material in said overstretch configuration; relaxing said force on said material; heating said material to a cure temperature, said cure temperature being seventy to ninety percent (70%-90%) of said process temperature; maintaining said material at said cure temperature for a curing period; cooling said material to room temperature; heating said material to a sizing temperature; applying a second force thereto to stretch said material into a desired configuration; cooling said material to room temperature while maintaining said material in said desired configuration; and relaxing said second force on said material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for reducing the number of pin-hole defects in a pre-oriented polymeric material formed as a tube which comprises the following steps in the order named:
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heating said material formed as a tube to a cure temperature, said cure temperature being in a range between seventy to ninety percent (70%-90%) of a pre-orientation process temperature wherein said process temperature is a temperature in a range between the glass transition temperature and the melt temperature of said material; maintaining said material at said cure temperature for a curing period; cooling said material to room temperature from said cure temperature; heating said material to a sizing temperature; applying a force thereto to stretch said material into a desired configuration, said force being applied to said material by a combination of inflation and mechanical stretching of said tube; and cooling said material to room temperature. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for producing an oriented polymeric material formed as a tube with reduced pin-hole defects which comprises the following steps in the order named:
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heating said material formed as a tube to a process temperature, said process temperature being between a first temperature and a second temperature; applying a first force to said material to stretch said material into an overstretch configuration while said material is at said process temperature, said first force being applied to said material by a combination of inflation and mechanical stretching of said tube; cooling said material to room temperature while maintaining said material in said overstretch configuration;
relaxing said force on said material;heating said material to a cure temperature, said cure temperature being seventy to ninety percent (70%-90%) of said process temperature; maintaining said material at said cure temperature for a curing period; cooling said material to room temperature; heating said material to a sizing temperature; applying a second force thereto to stretch said material into a desired configuration, said second force being applied to said material by a combination of inflation and mechanical stretching of said tube; and cooling said material to room temperature. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification