A method for producing a balloon from a suitable blank is provided. The blank is introduced into an outer mold heated an first expanded to expand it against the inner wall of the outer mold. Pressure is reduced to relax the blank away from the inner wall. The three-dimensional volume of the mold is changed. Second expanding of the blank expands again against the inner wall of the changed volume of the outer mold. Balloons of the invention consist of a middle cylindrical region and two end regions delimiting the middle cylindrical region. With a pressure application of 6 bar, a ratio of the cross section in the middle region to the cross section in the end region is at least 2, and preferably greater than 3.

An absorbable endoluminal stent and method for preparing the same are provided in the present invention. The absorbable endoluminal stent comprises a stent body, a plurality of through holes formed in the stent body, and bioabsorbable polymeric materials filled in the through holes. When the stent is implanted into the blood vessels, damages on stent caused during crimping and expansion processes are reduced. Radical supporting force duration of stent is improved and mechanical properties of stent after implantation are guaranteed by compositing the materials in the through holes and materials of the stent body.

The present disclosure is directed toward a composite balloon comprising a layer of material having a porous microstructure (e.g., ePTFE or expanded polyethylene) and a thermoplastic polymeric layer useful for medical applications. The layers of the composite balloons become adhered through a stretch blow-molding process. Methods of making and using such composite balloons are also described amongst others.

A method for producing a urinary catheter comprises the steps: providing a tubular catheter shaft having an axially extending lumen therein; thermoforming an end of the tubular catheter shaft into a closed end; inserting said closed end of the tubular catheter shaft into an injection mold cavity; and injecting thermoplastic polymer material into the mold cavity to form a tip on the thermoformed end of the tubular catheter shaft. Hereby, a very effective method is obtained, forming securely attached tips. Alternatively, an end of the tubular catheter shaft with a non-closed opening may be inserted into the injection mold cavity; and thermoplastic polymer material be injected into the mold cavity to form a tip on the end of the tubular catheter shaft, whereby the injecting is controlled so that a limited amount of thermoplastic polymer enters into the lumen.

A balloon catheter includes a shaft, a balloon including an expandable membrane, one or more ablation elements, and one or more passages via the expandable membrane. The shaft is configured for insertion into an organ of a patient. The balloon is fitted at a distal end of the shaft. The one or more ablation elements are disposed over the expandable membrane and are configured for tissue ablation. The one or more passages via the expandable membrane are configured to allow blood to flow between a distal end and a proximal end of the balloon, while the balloon is in an expanded configuration.

An inner tube includes a tubular body made of a first resin and a reinforcing member disposed on an inner side of the tubular body. The reinforcing member is configured of a linear body including a second resin. The inner tube has a first region including a distal portion provided with a distal opening portion and a second region that is disposed to be closer to a proximal side than the first region. The linear body projects inwardly from the inner surface of the tubular body in the first and second regions, and inwardly projects less in the first region than in the second region. In a balloon catheter, guide wire operability is improved and problems which can arise when using a metal reinforcing member are avoided. In a medical elongated body, sliding resistance of a medical device inserted in a lumen can be reduced.

A cage can be positioned around a medical balloon, such as an angioplasty balloon, to assist in a medical procedure. The cage can include a plurality of strips, each extending between a set of rings including first and second rings. As the balloon expands, the first and second rings move closer together and allow the strips to expand outward. The cage may have wedge dissectors on the strips.

To provide a new balloon catheter enabling formation of, with high dimensional accuracy and excellent shape adaptability with respect to a balloon, an additional structure such as a blade and a reinforcement member to be additionally provided to the balloon. In this balloon catheter 10 provided with an expandable/contractible balloon 14 on the distal end side of a catheter 12, an additional structure 36 having a prescribed pattern is formed through electroforming or the like directly onto an inner circumferential surface 34 and/or an outer circumferential surface 82 of the balloon 14.

An example medical device includes a balloon that is inflatable to an inflated configuration. The balloon includes a non-compliant layer coextruded on an inner layer, and an outer layer coextruded on the non-compliant layer. The non-compliant layer is configured to delaminate from the inner and the outer layers in the inflated configuration. The non-compliant layer may be configured to rupture in the inflated configuration. An example technique includes inflating the balloon to a predetermined pressure sufficient to rupture the non-compliant layer and insufficient to rupture both the inner and outer layers. The example technique further includes deflating the balloon, and introducing the balloon into a vasculature. Another example technique includes coextruding a non-compliant layer on an inner layer, coextruding an outer layer on the non-compliant layer, and forming a balloon from the inner layer, the non-compliant layer, and the outer layer.

A catheter and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed, which can restrain a guide wire lumen and a dilation lumen from communicating with each other during thermal fusion-bonding while suppressing an increase in an outer diameter of a catheter shaft. A catheter has a catheter shaft in which a distal side shaft, an inner tube shaft, and a proximal side shaft are integrated with each other in a fusion region. The inner tube shaft has an opening portion which, opens outward and an arc-shaped portion which extends from the opening portion to a proximal side and which has only a portion of an entire circumference in a circumferential direction of the inner tube shaft. The fusion region includes the opening portion located on a distal side of a proximal end of the distal side shaft.