Patent ID: 8083714

Claim:
A catheter balloon comprising: a balloon body portion having a substantially cylindrical shaped portion in an expanded state between first and second ends of the balloon body portion; a first tapered end portion formed at the first end of the balloon body portion, the first tapered end comprising a first plurality of converging substantially flattened sections in the expanded state defined by a plurality of first curved embossments entirely surrounding and bounding the periphery of the substantially flattened sections and completely separating the substantially flattened sections from the substantially cylindrical shaped portion, the plurality of first curved embossments curving in a first direction and having a material thickness less than the material thickness of the remainder of the first tapered portion and the balloon body portion; and a second tapered end portion formed at the second end of the balloon body portion, the second tapered end portion comprising a second plurality of converging substantially flattened sections defined by a plurality of second curved embossments entirely surrounding and bounding the periphery of the substantially flattened sections and completely separating the substantially flattened sections from the substantially cylindrical shaped portion, the plurality of second curved embossments curving in the first direction and having a material thickness less than the material thickness of the remainder of the second tapered portion and the balloon body portion, the plurality of first curved embossments being offset in a circumferential direction relative to the plurality of second curved embossments, the balloon body portion being entirely bounded and surrounded by a first portion of the first curved embossments and by a second portion of the second curved embossments and being formed free of substantially flattened sections and formed free of any structures defining predetermined locations of folding.