Method for making a balloon catheter
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method of making a balloon catheter, comprising the steps of:
- providing a flexible balloon having proximal and distal ends, and a tubular outer shaft member;
forming a tubular inner shaft member by coextruding a length of flexible plastic tube by bringing a tubular, molten outer plastic layer into contact with a tubular, molten inner plastic layer, thereby bonding said plastic layers together during the coextrusion process; and
thereby forming a unitary, multilayer plastic tube, the plastic material of said inner plastic being more lubricious than the outer plastic layer; and
affixing the balloon proximal end to a distal end of the outer shaft member, and affixing the balloon distal end to a distal end of the inner shaft member, thereby defining an annular inflation lumen between the outer and inner shaft members, and defining a guidewire lumen within the inner shaft member.
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Abstract
A method of making an intravascular balloon catheter that has an elongated shaft defining an inflation lumen and a guidewire lumen, as well as a balloon disposed near the distal end of the shaft. The method may include forming an inner shaft by coextruding a flexible plastic tube by bringing a molten outer plastic layer into contact with a molten inner plastic layer, thereby bonding the plastic layers together during the coextrusion process. The inner plastic layer may be more lubricious than the outer plastic layer.
265 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method of making a balloon catheter, comprising the steps of:
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providing a flexible balloon having proximal and distal ends, and a tubular outer shaft member; forming a tubular inner shaft member by coextruding a length of flexible plastic tube by bringing a tubular, molten outer plastic layer into contact with a tubular, molten inner plastic layer, thereby bonding said plastic layers together during the coextrusion process; and
thereby forming a unitary, multilayer plastic tube, the plastic material of said inner plastic being more lubricious than the outer plastic layer; andaffixing the balloon proximal end to a distal end of the outer shaft member, and affixing the balloon distal end to a distal end of the inner shaft member, thereby defining an annular inflation lumen between the outer and inner shaft members, and defining a guidewire lumen within the inner shaft member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of making a balloon catheter, comprising the steps of:
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forming a proximal shaft member having a proximal guidewire lumen and a proximal inflation lumen arranged in parallel, by coextruding a length of flexible plastic tube by bringing a tubular, molten outer plastic layer into contact with a tubular, molten inner plastic layer to form a unitary, multilayer plastic tube, the inner plastic layer defining the proximal guidewire lumen, and the plastic material of said inner plastic layer being more lubricious than the material of said outer plastic layer, whereby bonding takes place between said plastic layers during the coextrusion process; coupling the proximal guidewire lumen with a distal inner tube, and coupling the proximal inflation lumen with a distal outer tube surrounding the distal inner tube, thereby defining a distal inflation lumen in fluid communication with the proximal inflation lumen; and coupling the distal inflation lumen with the interior of a flexible balloon. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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Specification