Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
A balloon for a medical device formed from a length of tubing of a polymer material by radial expansion of the tubing under pressure, the polymer material comprising a block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer characterized as follows: the block copolymer comprises two or more hard segments of a polyester or polyamide and two or more soft segments of polyether; the polyester hard segments are polyesters of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and a C 2 -C 4 diol, the polyamide hard segments are polyamides of C 6 or higher carboxylic acids and C 6 or higher organic diamines or of C 6 or higher aliphatic ω-amino-α-acids, and the polyether soft segments are polyethers of C 2 -C 10 diols, the block copolymer has a flexural modulus of less than about 150,000 psi; the block copolymer has a hardness, Shore D scale, of greater than 60; and the percentage by weight of the block polymer attributable to the hard segments is between about 50% and about 95%.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
A balloon for a medical device formed from a length of tubing of a polymer material by radial expansion of the tubing under pressure, the polymer material comprising a block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer characterized as follows: the block copolymer comprises two or more hard segments of a polyester or polyamide and two or more soft segments of polyether; the polyester hard segments are polyesters of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and a C 2 -C 4 diol, the polyamide hard segments are polyamides of C 6 or higher carboxylic acids and C 6 or higher organic diamines or of C 6 or higher aliphatic ω-amino-α-acids, and the polyether soft segments are polyethers of C 2 -C 10 diols, the block copolymer has a flexural modulus of less than about 150,000 psi; the block copolymer has a hardness, Shore D scale, of greater than 60; and the percentage by weight of the block polymer attributable to the hard segments is between about 50% and about 95%.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein the block copolymer has a Shore D hardness in the range of 65-75 and a flexural modulus in the range of 50,000-120,000 psi.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein the hard segments of the block copolymer are polyamide segments.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein said polyether segment, is selected from the group consisting of poly(tetramethylene ether), poly(pentaniethylene ether) and poly(hexamethylene ether).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein the wall strength of the balloon is at least 15,000 psi.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A balloon as in claim 5 wherein the wall thickness, single wall basis, is no more than 0.0015 inches and said wall strength is greater than 18,000 psi.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A balloon as in claim 6 wherein said wall thickness is no more than 0.0009 inches.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
A balloon as in claim 5 wherein said wall strength is greater than 20,000 psi.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A balloon as in claim 1 having a compliant to semi-compliant distension profile whereby as inflation pressure is increased from 6 atm to 12 atm, the balloon expands from a nominal diameter at the 6 atm pressure to an increased diameter at the 12 atm pressure which is at least 7% greater than said nominal diameter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A balloon as in claim 9 wherein the increased diameter at 12 atm is at least 10% greater than said nominal diameter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A balloon as in claim 9 wherein the increased diameter is at least 16% greater than said nominal diameter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A balloon as in claim 9 having a nominal diameter of between 1.5 mm and 10.0 mm, the balloon having a burst pressure of at least 10 atm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A balloon as in claim 1 having a nominal diameter of between 1.5 mm and 4.0 mm, the balloon having a burst pressure of at least 12 atm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein the hard segments of the block copolymer are polyester segments.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
A balloon as in claim 14 wherein said polyester segments are polyesters of an acid selected from the group consisting of ortho-, meta- or para- phthalic acid, napthalenedicarboxylic acid and meta-terphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acids and a diol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 1,3-propane diol and 1,4-butane diol.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein the block copolymer is poly(butylene terephthalate-block-poly(tetramethylene oxide).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein the block copolymer is further characterized by a ultimate tensile strength of at least 6,000 psi and an ultimate elongation of at least 300%.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
A dilation catheter having a elongated tubular body, a balloon mounted on a distal end thereof and means for inflation of the balloon, wherein the balloon is a balloon as in claim 1.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
A balloon as in claim 1 wherein the tubing polymer material consists of a single polymer.