Systems and methods for uniformly expanding and heat setting medical devices. One method can include expanding a medical device by advancing the medical device over a preheated expander, the medical device being uniformly expanded as the medical device is advanced over the preheated expander; and heat setting the expanded medical device while the medical device is positioned over the expander, the preheated expander being maintained at a predetermined heat-setting temperature. The preheated expander can be positioned within a thermal chamber that maintains the preheated expander at the predetermined heat-setting temperature. The medical device can be physically separated from the preheated expander when the medical device is positioned over the expander and can be comprised of a shape-memory material. The preheated expander can remain heated during the expansion and heat setting of a plurality of medical devices.

Systems and methods for uniformly expanding and heat setting medical devices. One method can include expanding a medical device by advancing the medical device over a preheated expander, the medical device being uniformly expanded as the medical device is advanced over the preheated expander; and heat setting the expanded medical device while the medical device is positioned over the expander, the preheated expander being maintained at a predetermined heat-setting temperature. The preheated expander can be positioned within a thermal chamber that maintains the preheated expander at the predetermined heat-setting temperature. The medical device can be physically separated from the preheated expander when the medical device is positioned over the expander and can be comprised of a shape-memory material. The preheated expander can remain heated during the expansion and heat setting of a plurality of medical devices.

SUMMARY

The invention relates to a method and a device for expanding at least a section of an initial tube blank (2) made of plastic or metal in such a way that an expanded tube blank (1) is obtained which tapers in the direction of an end of the tube blank that is not affected by the expansion process. The initial tube blank is fixed in a holding device (4) in a first position (6a), a first mandrel (3) is inserted into the initial tube blank, pressed therein and held in the pressed-in position for a predetermined heating time period, so that at least a part of the tube blank is expanded, and finally the first mandrel is pulled out of the expanded tube blank (1), wherein, when the first mandrel is pulled out of the tube blank, either compressed air is blown into the interior of the expanded tube blank through the first mandrel provided with at least one corresponding first air channel (5), or the expanded tube blank is mechanically stripped off.

A heat-shrinkable tube according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a base layer that is tubular and that covers outer peripheries of a plurality of electric wires, and a plurality of ridges that are formed on an inner peripheral surface of the base layer and that extend in an axial direction of the base layer.

A heat-shrinkable tube according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a base layer that is tubular and that covers outer peripheries of a plurality of electric wires, and a plurality of ridges that are formed on an inner peripheral surface of the base layer and that extend in an axial direction of the base layer.

A geothermal heating and cooling system comprising a conduit comprising a biaxially oriented pipe made by a process comprising a) forming a polymer composition comprising an ethylene-based polymer and/or a propylene-based polymer into a tube and b) stretching the tube in the axial direction and in the peripheral direction to obtain the biaxially oriented pipe.