A balloon catheter is disclosed that can effectively deliver a drug to living body tissue, a method of manufacturing a balloon catheter, and a treatment method. A balloon catheter is disclosed, the balloon catheter is provided on an outer surface of a balloon with a plurality of elongate bodies which are independent crystals of a water-insoluble drug extending in an elongate form. The elongate bodies include fixed-side elongate bodies which are fixed to the outer surface side of the balloon, and top-side elongate bodies which are bent or broken from the fixed-side elongate bodies and are continuous with or independent of the fixed-side elongate bodies.

An apparatus, assembly and method for controlling release of a drug from a drug-eluting balloon during delivery of a drug-eluting balloon to a situs within a body. More particularly, the present invention relates to a diametrically expandable sleeve having a first non-diametrically unexpanded state in which drug retained on or in a drug-eluting balloon is protected from release by a sleeve and a second diametrically expanded state in which drug retained on or in the drug-eluting balloon is exposed for focal release in the body by diametric expansion of the sleeve, exposing openings in the sleeve during diametric expansion and closing the openings in the sleeve when the sleeve is in its diametrically unexpanded state.

A medical balloon with a variable diameter that is reinforced with continuous fibers woven to form a fabric with a varying number of layers and fiber densities. Portions of the balloon having a relatively smaller diameter are reinforced with a fabric having a reduced fiber density and an increased number of layers to facilitate the placement of the layers. The fabric also includes a braiding pattern that facilitates the transition from a single layer fabric to a multiple layer fabric. Also described is a manufacturing method for the braiding and layering.

An apparatus, assembly and method for controlling release of a drug from a drug-eluting balloon during delivery of a drug-eluting balloon to a situs within a body. More particularly, the present invention relates to a diametrically expandable sleeve having a first non-diametrically unexpanded state in which drug retained on or in a drug-eluting balloon is protected from release by a sleeve and a second diametrically expanded state in which drug retained on or in the drug-eluting balloon is exposed for focal release in the body by diametric expansion of the sleeve, exposing openings in the sleeve during diametric expansion and closing the openings in the sleeve when the sleeve is in its diametrically unexpanded state.

Inflatable medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. The inflatable medical devices can be medical balloons. The balloons can be configured to have a through-lumen or no through-lumen and a wide variety of geometries. The device can have a high-strength, non-compliant, fiber-reinforced, multi-layered wall. The inflatable medical device can be used for angioplasty, kyphoplasty, percutaneous aortic valve replacement, or other procedures described herein.

The present disclosure is directed toward a semi-compliant to non-compliant, conformable balloon useful in medical applications. Conformable balloons of the present disclosure exhibit a low straightening force when in a curved configuration and at inflation pressures greater than 4 atm. Balloons of the present disclosure are constructed of material that can compress along an inner length when the balloon is in a curved configuration. In further embodiments, balloons of the present disclosure can be constructed of material that sufficiently elongates along an outer arc when the balloon is in a curved configuration. As a result, medical balloons, in accordance with the present disclosure, when inflated in a curved configuration, exhibit kink-free configurations and do not cause a significant degree of vessel straightening.

A thin walled balloon formed in polymer tubing has a patterned metal layer on its outer surface, created by physical vapor deposition (PVD). The pattern is defined by a stencil mask assembled around the balloon, with the balloon inflated therein. The PVD occurs without deforming or degrading the polymer material of the balloon, by actively pulling heat away from the balloon a) by forming the stencil mask out of metal; b) by providing a metal heat conduction path away from the balloon to a heat sink, such as outside the vacuum chamber, and/or c) by flow of a cooling fluid within the balloon during the PVD process. Proper PVD process parameters are selected to minimize heat generation, such as having argon pressure in the range of 0.8 to 1.2 milli-torr and generating the plasma at a power of less than about 200 watts/ square inch of effective target surface area.

This invention addresses the need of repairing aortic aneurysms. The method embodies the manufacturing of patient and anatomy specific endovascular implant. Additional advantages of the invention relate to smaller delivery size, improving the risk of graft migration and endoleak formation.

A balloon catheter which allows for faster preparation and effective purging of air. The balloon catheter includes an elongated, flexible catheter having an inner lumen. A balloon member is secured to an outer surface of a distal portion of the catheter such that an inner surface of the balloon member and an outer surface of the catheter define an inflatable balloon interior. The catheter has an inflation lumen connected to an inflation port and extending distally to a distal end in fluid communication with the inflatable balloon interior. One or more purge apertures are provided in a wall of the catheter, each forming a fluid path between the inflatable balloon interior and the inner lumen of the catheter to allow for purging air from the catheter prior to use in a medical procedure.

An angioplasty balloon including a non-deployable stent to prevent or reduce the potential for slippage of the inflated balloon with respect to the vessel wall being treated. The balloon includes a non-deployable stent that is adapted to be secured to the balloon or angioplasty balloon catheter. The stent has a proximal end, a distal end, and at least three radially-spaced struts, each, each strut connecting the proximal end to the distal end and having one or more bends that allow expansion of the strut to accommodate the inflation of the balloon. The stem is made or a material so that the stent collapses upon deflation of the balloon.