Patent ID: 6364894
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
A method of making an angioplasty balloon catheter for performing a therapeutic procedure on a patient, comprising the steps of:(a) forming a tubular inner body, a tubular outer body, and forming an angioplasty balloon; the inner and outer bodies and balloon all having proximal and distal ends; (b) affixing a radiopaque marker to the tubular inner body; (c) inserting a mandrel within a lumen defined by the tubular inner body, and drawing down a unitary portion of the tubular inner body distal of the radiopaque marker from a first wall thickness to a smaller second wall thickness, defining a transition between the first and second wall thicknesses; (d) inserting the inner body and mandrel assembly into the balloon; (e) inserting the outer body within a balloon proximal leg, and heat sealing the balloon proximal leg to the outer body; and (f) heat-sealing a distal leg of the balloon to the inner body at a position distal of the wall thickness transition; (g) shaving a distal portion of the distal balloon leg to form a distal tapering portion.