Patent ID: 8394056

Claim:
An assembly with proximal and distal ends for bone, tissue and/or duct dilatation of a living being comprising in combination: (a) an inflatable and deflatable balloon element having a balloon interior; (b) a conduit defining a channel for accessing the balloon interior from a location outside a living body when the balloon is positioned inside the living body; (c) a balloon tensioning and/or balloon wrapping device for stretching the balloon element and/or folding, pleating or wrapping the balloon element to facilitate insertion and/or removal of the balloon element through a narrow diameter duct, access channel or cannula, the device comprising a rod having proximal and distal ends and extending through the channel to or into the balloon element at the distal end of the rod in combination with a spring adjacent the proximal end of the rod, whereby compression of the spring applies an axial force to the rod tending to move it in a distal direction so as to apply axial tensioning to the balloon element; and, (d) a rotatable cap at the proximal end of the assembly whereby rotating the cap in a first direction compresses the spring and rotating the cap in a second direction decompresses the spring.