Thin-wall polytetrafluoroethylene tube

• US 7,279,208 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gore Enterprise Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gore Enterprise Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Goffena, Donald G. M., Myers, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIGGINS, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/510,937
• Time in Patent Office: 2,786 Days
• Field of Search: 428/36.91, 428/35.8, 428/36.1, 428/411.1, 428/421, 623/900, 604/96, 604/508, 604/509
• US Class Current: 428/36.91
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3431 being collapsible, e.g. made of thin flexible material A61B17/3423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/16 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/041 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/085 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/048 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/38 by bending sheets or strips at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the article being formed and joining the edges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/58 helically
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/10 around tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/207 arranged in parallel planes of fibres crossing at substantial angles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/30 Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/302 Details of the edges of fibre composites, e.g. edge finishing or means to avoid delamination
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 23/001 Pipes; Pipe joints pleated hoses B29D23/18
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 23/18 Pleated or corrugated hoses
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 : PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 : cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/048 : Expandable particles, beads or granules
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0827 : Braided fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/101 : Oriented
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2305/12 : Iron
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 : Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/022 : Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/005 : Hoses, i.e. flexible
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/007 : Medical tubes other than catheters catheters B29L2031/7542
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/18 : Pleated or corrugated hoses
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/14 : Filters optical filters B29L2011/0066, sieves or screens B29L2031/737
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 : Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7542 : Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/08 : Tubular products
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/02 : Layer formed of wires, e.g. mesh
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/08 : of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/30 : comprising vinyl (co)polymers; comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 : characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/10 : characterised by a discontinuous layer, i.e. formed of separate pieces of material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 : characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/32 : at least two layers being foamed and next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/18 : Homopolymers or copolymers or tetrafluoroethene
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/085 : comprising one or more braided layers in combination with layers of a helically wound core or wire F16L11/088
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/90 : Stent for heart valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 : Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1355 : Elemental metal containing [e.g., substrate, foil, film, coating, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1362 : Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/139 : Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1393 : Multilayer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1397 : Single layer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 : Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 : Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31544 : Addition polymer is perhalogenated

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.

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.

2. A medical device according to claim 1 wherein the non-porous coating comprises fluorinated ethylene propylene.

3. A medical device according to claim 1 wherein the porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene comprises multiple layers.

4. A medical device according to claim 1 wherein the balloon is an inelastic balloon.

5. A medical device according to claim 1 wherein balloon comprises a portion of a balloon catheter.

6. A medical device according to claim 1 wherein the non-porous coating is a continuous coating.

7. A medical device according to claim 1 wherein the non-porous coating comprises an adhesive.

8. A medical device according to claim 7 wherein the adhesive comprises a thermoplastic adhesive.

9. A medical device according to claim 8 wherein the thermoplastic adhesive is a thermoplastic fluoropolymer.