Thin-wall polytetrafluoroethylene tube
First Claim
1. A medical device comprising permeable, porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube having a microstructure of nodes interconnected by fibrils and provided with a non-porous coating over the porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, wherein the tube is non-porous, wherein said tube is an inflatable balloon.
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Abstract
A thin-wall PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) tube in the form of a tube of porous expanded PTFE film wherein the porous PTFE film has a microstructure containing a multiplicity of fibrils. The thin-wall tube is used in a non-porous embodiment as the balloon portion of a balloon catheter. The thin-wall tube is not elastomeric; however, because of the thinness, strength and flexibility of the tube, it may be inserted into a body conduit in a collapsed state and then deployed from a catheter and inflated up to the maximum diameter of the thin-wall tube. The porous PTFE film is provided with a continuous layer of adhesive to provide the non-porous tube; the adhesive is preferably a thermoplastic and more preferably a thermoplastic fluoropolymer such as fluorinated ethylene propylene.
153 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. A medical device comprising permeable, porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube having a microstructure of nodes interconnected by fibrils and provided with a non-porous coating over the porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, wherein the tube is non-porous, wherein said tube is an inflatable balloon.
Specification