In an aspect, a biaxially oriented pipe has a thickened end portion. The end portion has the same inner diameter as the biaxially oriented pipe and has a larger thickness than the biaxially oriented pipe. The end portion is made of the same thermoplastic polymer composition as the biaxially oriented pipe.

A tube-in-tube assembled parison for preparation of an elongated medical device. The parison if formed by assembling in tube-in-tube fashion a first tube of orientable polymer material and a second tube formed of orientable polymer material disposed around the first tube, with an adhesive tie layer disposed between the first and second tubes. The tubes are brought into contact to form a unitary parison. The adhesive may allow movement between the polymer layers during balloon blowing. The first tube, or the second tube, or both, may have been longitudinally pre-stretched after formation thereof but before assembly of the parison.

A tube-in-tube assembled parison for preparation of an elongated medical device. The parison if formed by assembling in tube-in-tube fashion a first tube of orientable polymer material and a second tube formed of orientable polymer material disposed around the first tube, with an adhesive tie layer disposed between the first and second tubes. The tubes are brought into contact to form a unitary parison. The adhesive may allow movement between the polymer layers during balloon blowing. The first tube, or the second tube, or both, may have been longitudinally pre-stretched after formation thereof but before assembly of the parison.

Methods for preparing oriented polymer tubes, such as biodegradable polymer tubes suitable for in vivo use, are provided herein. The disclosed methods provide alternatives to the typical extrusion/expansion methods by which oriented polymeric tubes for such uses are commonly produced. Advantageously, the disclosed methods can provide more homogeneous molecular orientation of crystallizable polymers within the tube walls, which can endow such polymeric tubes with enhanced strength (e.g., resistance to compression) and toughness.

Methods for preparing oriented polymer tubes, such as biodegradable polymer tubes suitable for in vivo use, are provided herein. The disclosed methods provide alternatives to the typical extrusion/expansion methods by which oriented polymeric tubes for such uses are commonly produced. Advantageously, the disclosed methods can provide more homogeneous molecular orientation of crystallizable polymers within the tube walls, which can endow such polymeric tubes with enhanced strength (e.g., resistance to compression) and toughness.

Bioresorbable polymeric tubes suitable for use in a stent have been produced by a using a die drawing technique, comprising: deforming an orientable, thermoplastic polymer tubing (4) in the solid phase by drawing it over a mandrel (1) and/or through a die (3), where the mandrel (1) has a lead end and an exit end and the die (3) has an entry side and an exit side, wherein a drawing mechanism applies a drawing tension to the tubing (4) from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3), said tension being insufficient to cause tensile failure of the tubing but sufficient to deform the tubing, thereby drawing the tubing over the mandrel (1) and/or through the die (3) in the solid phase to induce uniaxial or biaxial orientation of the polymer; and collecting the deformed tubing from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3).

Bioresorbable polymeric tubes suitable for use in a stent have been produced by a using a die drawing technique, comprising: deforming an orientable, thermoplastic polymer tubing (4) in the solid phase by drawing it over a mandrel (1) and/or through a die (3), where the mandrel (1) has a lead end and an exit end and the die (3) has an entry side and an exit side, wherein a drawing mechanism applies a drawing tension to the tubing (4) from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3), said tension being insufficient to cause tensile failure of the tubing but sufficient to deform the tubing, thereby drawing the tubing over the mandrel (1) and/or through the die (3) in the solid phase to induce uniaxial or biaxial orientation of the polymer; and collecting the deformed tubing from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3).

The present disclosure discloses a device for biaxially-oriented stretching polytetrafluoroethylene hollow fiber membranes and the method thereof. The device may include a lubricant removing oven and a tube blank heating oven mounted at the outlet end of the push-compression mold, a core extension extending from the core into the lubricant removing oven and the tube blank heating oven, and a speed regulating guide wheel mounted at the outlet of the tube blank heating oven. A tube blank is extruded from a push-compression machine, inserted on the core extension for removal of lubricant in the lubricant removing oven, heated in the tube blank heating oven, transversely stretched by means of the bulked core, and then wound onto the speed regulating guide wheel for longitudinal stretching. Both transverse and longitudinal stretching can be realized for polytetrafluoroethylene tube blanks, overcoming disadvantages of traditional processing devices that can merely perform longitudinal stretching.

The present disclosure discloses a device for biaxially-oriented stretching polytetrafluoroethylene hollow fiber membranes and the method thereof. The device may include a lubricant removing oven and a tube blank heating oven mounted at the outlet end of the push-compression mold, a core extension extending from the core into the lubricant removing oven and the tube blank heating oven, and a speed regulating guide wheel mounted at the outlet of the tube blank heating oven. A tube blank is extruded from a push-compression machine, inserted on the core extension for removal of lubricant in the lubricant removing oven, heated in the tube blank heating oven, transversely stretched by means of the bulked core, and then wound onto the speed regulating guide wheel for longitudinal stretching. Both transverse and longitudinal stretching can be realized for polytetrafluoroethylene tube blanks, overcoming disadvantages of traditional processing devices that can merely perform longitudinal stretching.

The present disclosure provides a processing method for a polymer material to create a medical device with improved mechanical properties. This method allows better tailoring of the material's mechanical properties, hence a device to withstand greater structural loads in vivo. The method comprises providing an extruded polymer tube having an initial diameter and an initial length along a longitudinal direction, and longitudinally, bi-directionally straining the extruded polymer tube in a mold from the initial length to an expanded or extended length. The mold comprises a plurality of stationary heating elements. After longitudinally straining the tube, it is radially expanding in the mold from the initial diameter to an expanded diameter.