Patent ID: 7314364

Claim:
A slotted mold for making a catheter balloon, comprising: a) a wall having an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a chamber in the mold, and the mold chamber has a first end, a second end opposite to the first end, a central section, first and second tapered sections at either end of the central section, and end sections at either end of the tapered sections; and b) a plurality of channels in the wall, each channel having at least a portion extending through the wall from the outer surface to the inner surface, so that the portion of the channel extending through the wall is in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the mold to provide air flow from the outer to the inner surface through in the channels, and which are located between the first and second ends of the chamber, longitudinally along at least a section of the mold, which are circumferentially spaced apart around a circumference of the chamber to open into the chamber at the same longitudinal location.