Patent ID: 8197742
Filing Date: 2012-06-12
Classification: A61M,B29C,B29L

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a balloon catheter, comprising: extruding a parison comprising a bead along an entire length of an outer surface of said parison, said bead comprising a head portion and a neck portion connecting said head region to said outer surface; blow molding said parison to form an expanded balloon configuration comprising a working diameter region, a tapered region at each end of said working diameter region, and a neck region at each end of said tapered regions, said working diameter region being larger in diameter than said neck regions and said tapered regions providing transitions between said working diameter region and said neck regions; wherein said neck portion of said bead comprises a width less than a width of said head portion of said bead after blow molding; mounting the blow molded balloon on a mandrel extending through an inner lumen of said neck regions; positioning said mandrel and said blow molded balloon relative to a laser beam so that said laser beam is oriented 90° from said mandrel and is offset from said mandrel so that a width of said laser beam covers the entirety of said head portion and only part of said neck portion; translating said laser beam and said mandrel relative to each other while said laser beam is activated, said laser beam thereby passing along each of said neck regions and ablating the entirety of said head portion and only part of said neck portion along said neck regions, a part of said neck portion remaining on said neck regions after ablating said bead; removing said mandrel from said blow molded balloon after ablating said bead; and inserting a catheter through said inner lumen of said neck regions and bonding said neck regions to said catheter.