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US4906244A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Balloons for medical devices and fabrication thereof

Assignee: Cordis Corp
•
Filing: 1989-07-24
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Granted: 1990-03-06
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Expires: 2009-07-24
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Abstract

Abstract Dilatation balloons and catheters including same are provided. The balloons are fabricated of a biaxially orientable material such as a nylon or a polyamide material, and they have an inflated, non-distended working profile as well as a stretched inflated profile which is achieved by applying pressure through a dilatation catheter or the like that is in excess of that needed to achieve the inflated, non-distended profile and which is adequate to effect dilatation or the like up to a maximum pre-bursting pressure application. The maximum pre-bursting size of the balloon can be tailored depending upon the needs of the particular balloon within a wide range of possible maximum pre-bursting sizes.

Inventors

  • 👤 Leonard Pinchuk
  • 👤 Robert S. Shonk
  • 👤 Thomas Trotta

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-22 23:43
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/10; A61M25/104; A61L; A61L29/00; A61L29/04; A61L29/06; A61M25/1027; A61M25/1029; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00743; A61B2017/00778; A61B2017/00783; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/1086; A61M29/00; A61M29/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 53
Claim 1
Independent Claim 164 words
A balloon for a dilatation catheter, the balloon having been made by a process comprising: providing a length of tubing made of a nylon material or of a polyamide material, said length of tubing having a predetermined original outer diameter and a predetermined original wall thickness; biaxially orienting a section of said length of tubing by inflating said section with a pressurized fluid in order to increase the diameter of said section to at least in excess of twice said original outer diameter of the length of tubing while thereby simultaneously biaxially orienting the nylon of polyamide material; said balloon has a non-distended inflated profile having a predetermined size as well as a distended size that has a radius greater than that of said predetermined non-distended size, and said distended size has an inflated profile larger than that of said non-distended inflated profile; and said balloon has a tensile strength greater than non-nylon catheter balloons that have an inflated profile exhibiting a distended size.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 164 words
A balloon for a dilatation catheter, the balloon having been made by a process comprising: providing a length of tubing made of a nylon material or of a polyamide material, said length of tubing having a predetermined original outer diameter and a predetermined original wall thickness; biaxially orienting a section of said length of tubing by inflating said section with a pressurized fluid in order to increase the diameter of said section to at least in excess of twice said original outer diameter of the length of tubing while thereby simultaneously biaxially orienting the nylon of polyamide material; said balloon has a non-distended inflated profile having a predetermined size as well as a distended size that has a radius greater than that of said predetermined non-distended size, and said distended size has an inflated profile larger than that of said non-distended inflated profile; and said balloon has a tensile strength greater than non-nylon catheter balloons that have an inflated profile exhibiting a distended size.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 60 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said biaxially orienting step is preceded by drawing said length of tubing in order to form drawn tubing having an axial length that is increased and an outer diameter and a wall thickness that are decreased with respect to said original outer diameter and original wall thickness of said length of tubing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 2, wherein said drawing step is carried out at approximately room temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 2, wherein said biaxially orienting step includes heating said section of the drawn tubing to approximately 75° C. or above not later than said inflating of the section with a fluid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 48 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, further including drawing said biaxially oriented section to provide a drawn biaxially oriented section, followed by inflating said drawn biaxially oriented section to a modified profile and size, further followed by setting said modified profile and size to form the balloon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 5, wherein said balloon thus formed is substantially free of expansion knurls.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 5, wherein said step of inflating the further drawn section includes controlling same within a molding cavity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 28 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said distended size of the balloon has a diameter that exceeds said predetermined size by up to about 30 percent.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 31 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said distended size of the balloon has a diameter that exceeds said predetermined size by between about 5 percent and about 30 percent.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 89 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 2, wherein said drawing step is carried out at approximately room temperature, said biaxially orienting step is carried out at an elevated temperature between about 75° C. and 125° C., said biaxially orienting step is followed by cooling the thus biaxially oriented section to at least about room temperature or lower, axially stretching the thus cooled biaxially oriented section to provide a further drawn section, heating and inflating said further drawn section, and thermoforming said thus inflated further drawn section into the balloon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 25 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said nylon material or polyamide material has an intrinsic viscosity of between about 0.8 and about 1.5.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 22 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said balloon has a tensile strength of between about 15,000 and about 30,000 psi.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 16 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 102 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said non-distended inflated profile is a working profile having a predetermined size to which the balloon inflates without significant stretching thereof, and said distended size inflated profile is an expansion profile having a maximum inflated size to which the balloon stretches without bursting during dilatation, said maximum inflated size being greater than said predetermined size of the non-distended working profile; and said expansion profile of the balloon had been tailored whereby said balloon has a maximum inflated size selected from a range of maximum inflated sizes that are a function of balloon processing conditions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 26 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said balloon exhibits glass transition properties whereby the balloon is within its glass transition state at human body temperature.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 20 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said balloon has a calculated tensile strength of at least about 15,000 psi.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 25 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said range of expansion profile maximum inflated sizes is at least about 10 percentage points of radial expansion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 30 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said maximum inflated size of the balloon is greater than 5 percent in excess of the predetermined size of the non-distended working profile.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 38 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said maximum inflated size of the balloon has a radius that exceeds said non-distended working size by between in excess of 5 percent and up to about 30 percent or above.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 25 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said nylon or polyamide biaxially oriented balloon has an intrinsic viscosity of between about 0.8 and about 1.5.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 13 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said balloon material is Nylon 12.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 101 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said biaxially oriented balloon had been made by a process including axially orienting the length of biaxially orientable tubing at approximately room temperature to provide drawn tubing and biaxially expanding the thus drawn tubing at an elevated temperature greater than room temperature, said biaxial orientation procedure having been followed by cooling the thus biaxially oriented section to at least about room temperature, axially stretching the thus cooled biaxially oriented section to provide a further drawn section, heating and inflating said further drawn section, and thermoforming said thus inflated further drawn section into the balloon.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 69 words
The balloon according to claim 14, wherein said biaxially oriented balloon had been made by a process including stretching the length of biaxially orientable tubing and biaxially expanding the thus stretched tubing to thereby provide a balloon hoop expansion ratio of the mean diameter of said balloon to the mean diameter of said thermoformable tubing, and said selected maximum inflated size is a function of said hoop expansion ratio.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 51 words
The balloon according to claim 10, wherein said process further includes heat setting said biaxially oriented balloon by raising said biaxially oriented balloon to a temperature in excess of the glass transition temperature of said nylon material or polyamide material and cooling same to a temperature below said glass transition temperature.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 15 words
The balloon according to claim 24, wherein said glass transition temperature approximates human body temperature.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 145 words
A dilatation catheter, comprising: a catheter body; a dilatation balloon positioned along the length of said catheter body; said balloon being constructed of a nylon material or of a polyamide material tubing that had been biaxially oriented to a predetermined balloon diameter; said balloon has a collapsed profile at which the outer diameter of the balloon approximates the outer diameter of said catheter body, said balloon further having a non-distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is inflated to its said predetermined balloon diameter, and said balloon also exhibits a distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is stretched to a profile having a diameter that is in excess of said predetermined balloon diameter; and said balloon has a tensile strength greater than balloons that are made of materials other than nylon or polyamide materials and that have an inflated profile exhibiting a distended size.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 145 words
A dilatation catheter, comprising: a catheter body; a dilatation balloon positioned along the length of said catheter body; said balloon being constructed of a nylon material or of a polyamide material tubing that had been biaxially oriented to a predetermined balloon diameter; said balloon has a collapsed profile at which the outer diameter of the balloon approximates the outer diameter of said catheter body, said balloon further having a non-distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is inflated to its said predetermined balloon diameter, and said balloon also exhibits a distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is stretched to a profile having a diameter that is in excess of said predetermined balloon diameter; and said balloon has a tensile strength greater than balloons that are made of materials other than nylon or polyamide materials and that have an inflated profile exhibiting a distended size.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 22 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 26, wherein said distended diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by a limited and controlled amount.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 22 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 26, wherein said distended diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by up to about 30 percent.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 25 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 26, wherein said distended diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by between about 5 percent and about 30 percent.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 16 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 26, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 23 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 26, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12 having an intrinsic viscosity of approximately 1.3.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 105 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 26, wherein said distended inflation diameter is an expanded maximum inflated diameter to which the balloon member is stretched without bursting during dilatation, said maximum inflated diameter being in excess of said predetermined balloon diameter; and said tubing material of the balloon member has tailorability properties whereby said maximum inflated diameter had been selected to fall within a range of maximum inflated diameters that are a function of a hoop expansion ratio of the balloon member, said hoop expansion ratio being the approximate ratio of said predetermined balloon diameter to the diameter of said tubing prior to biaxial orientation.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 25 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 37, wherein said maximum inflated diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by up to about 30 percent or more.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 30 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 37, wherein said maximum inflated diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by between in excess of 5 percent and about 40 percent or above.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 16 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 37, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 22 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 37, wherein said balloon member material is Nylon 12 having an intrinsic viscosity of approximately 1.3.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 131 words
A dilatation balloon for a medical device, comprising: a nylon material or a polyamide material tubing that had been biaxially oriented to a predetermined balloon diameter; said balloon has a collapsed profile at which the outer diameter of the balloon approximates the outer diameter of said catheter body, said balloon further having a non-distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is inflated to its said predetermined balloon diameter, and said balloon also exhibits a distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is stretched to a profile having a diameter that is in excess of said predetermined balloon diameter; and said balloon has a tensile strength greater than medical device balloons that are made of materials other than nylon or polyamide materials and that have an inflated profile exhibiting a distended size.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim 131 words
A dilatation balloon for a medical device, comprising: a nylon material or a polyamide material tubing that had been biaxially oriented to a predetermined balloon diameter; said balloon has a collapsed profile at which the outer diameter of the balloon approximates the outer diameter of said catheter body, said balloon further having a non-distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is inflated to its said predetermined balloon diameter, and said balloon also exhibits a distended inflation diameter at which the balloon is stretched to a profile having a diameter that is in excess of said predetermined balloon diameter; and said balloon has a tensile strength greater than medical device balloons that are made of materials other than nylon or polyamide materials and that have an inflated profile exhibiting a distended size.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim 22 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 37, wherein said distended diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by a limited and controlled amount.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim 24 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 37, wherein said distended diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by up to about 30 percent or greater.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim 25 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 37, wherein said distended diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by between about 5 percent and about 30 percent.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim 16 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 37, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim 54 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 37, wherein said nylon or polyamide tubing had been subjected to axial elongation at room temperature, followed by biaxial orientation with pressurized fluid, followed by another axial elongation, which is followed by radial expansion with pressurized fluid, and wherein said angioplasty balloon is substantially free of expansion knurls.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim 24 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 1, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12, and said dilatation balloon is an angioplasty balloon.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim 24 words
The dilatation catheter according to claim 26, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12, and said dilatation balloon is an angioplasty balloon.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim 24 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 37, wherein said nylon or polyamide material is Nylon 12, and said dilatation balloon in an angioplasty balloon.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim 99 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 37, wherein said distended inflation diameter is a maximum stretched inflation diameter to which the dilatation balloon is expandable without bursting under needed dilatation conditions, said maximum stretched inflation diameter being in excess of said predetermined balloon diameter; and said tubing material of the dilatation balloon has tailorability properties whereby said maximum stretched inflation diameter had been selected during biaxial orientation to fall within a range of maximum stretched inflation diameter values, and said dilatation balloon maximum stretched inflation diameter had been selected from within said range of maximum stretched inflation diameter values.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim 22 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 46, wherein said dilatation balloon has a calculated tensile strength of at least about 15,000 psi.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim 26 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 46, wherein said maximum stretched inflation diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by up to about 30 percent or greater.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim 29 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 46, wherein said maximum stretched inflation diameter exceeds said predetermined balloon diameter by between above 5 percent and about 40 percent or above.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim 31 words
The dilatation balloon according to claim 46, wherein said balloon had been subjected to at least two biaxial orientation procedures, and wherein said dilatation balloon is substantially free of expansion knurls.

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-03-05 1993-09-04 1994-03-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-03-05 1997-09-04 1998-03-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-03-05 2001-09-04 2002-03-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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